Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes
by Hotchsbabewriter
Summary: Emily has worked at the BAU for three years, she decides to leave when she gets a job offer as head of the Interpol in London. One of the many reasons she is leaving is that Hotch and her completely hate each other. Several years after taking the Interpol position, she returns to the BAU, only she has a very big secret that will change her relationship with her old boss forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Here we are with Chapter One of our new story for all of our Hotch/Prentiss fanatics. This is dedicated to my beautiful friend, SouthunLady. This one is going to be a little different, but always Hotch/Prentiss.**

 **A/N: Emily has worked at the BAU for three years, and she decided to leave when she gets a wonderful job offer in London as the head of the London Office of Interpol. She takes the offer right away with many reasons behind her decision, but the most important one is that Hotch and her completely hate each other, and they have since she started at the BAU. Several years after taking the Interpol position, she returns to the BAU, only she has a big secret that will change her relationship with her old boss forever.**

 **Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes**

Chapter 1: Life Changing Decisions

Emily was walking toward her car after stopping at her long-time favorite coffee shop. Okay, she had sworn she would cut off her caffeine amounts, but today, at least just today, she really, really needed that triple shot latte. Not only was she about to have a very long day, but this was also one of the last times she would enjoy the delicious coffee from Baked & Wired. She walked to her car sipping on her coffee, and for a few seconds, she really didn't want to go to work today, but she knew she had to, no matter what. Well, she really didn't have to go, but she wanted to end this job in the right way. Yes, tomorrow was officially Emily's last day at the Behavioral Analysis Unit, in fact, tomorrow was Emily's last day in the USA.

Emily had accepted a life-changing opportunity as head of the Interpol Office in London; of course, this was an opportunity to die for, and she was beyond happy. Well, that was not entirely true, she was sad about leaving her friends and everything she had built for the last three years, but this was just exactly what she did all the time...run away from her own mistakes and put new borders between those problems. That was exactly what she had done when she moved to America...run away from her past with Ian Doyle, a wanted criminal she had put behind bars. Of course, Emily had to infiltrate into his life and pose as his lover to get him...it was her job, yes, but she had felt terrible about that, and she would never forgive herself for screwing someone to make a case, so she had done the only thing she knew how to do, run away.

She had gotten a great offer at the Behavioral Analysis Unit at the FBI, a job she had always dreamed of, an opportunity many FBI agents wished to have. So, she jumped in with both feet and took the job starting another new adventure in her life. At first, it was difficult because she didn't know anyone in Virginia, but after a while it got easier. She managed to perform very well at her job and got somewhat comfortable. She immediately bonded with Jennifer Jareau, better known as JJ, the liaison and media communicator for the team. JJ was about the same age as she was, and they found out they had so many things in common that they quickly became good friends...in fact, JJ had become her best friend. She became the closest thing to a sister Emily had ever had. Emily also connected quickly with Penelope Garcia, the technical analyst...her amazing heart and bubbly personality quickly gained Emily's heart, and Penelope, too, became one of her best friends.

The boys weren't that hard to connect with either; she had a very charming personality and always found it very easy to get along with males. Derek Morgan was the easiest of all...he was funny and exceled at his work. He quickly opened up to the brunette and began a friendship almost immediately. Emily saw him as a big brother that protected her and watched after her. Spencer Reid had probably been the most difficult of all, but in the end, he, too, won Emily's heart. The quiet genius boy often isolated himself from the team, and Emily had a difficult time getting along with him at first, but after awhile, she started to listen to him and comfort him when needed. Emily basically became an emotional sounding board for him, and soon she realized how much he admired her, and she took the position as his big sister. And David Rossi was just the cherry on the top. Rossi had always been nice to her...since day one. He often was by her side when she had trouble adjusting to the team, Rossi was basically the dad that watched over everyone. So, the team became her family, a big part of her heart that she would always remember and take with her. That was one of the things that pained her the most, leaving this amazing family she had come to love over the past three years. Of course, it also pained her to leave her job, this was something she had always wanted even when she was a child, she would have killed to get this job. It was clean, she knew the good guys and the bad guys, and the reward it gave her every time they put another criminal behind bars and saved a life was indescribable. She loved her job and what they did everyday...yes, it was a dangerous job, and on numerous occasions, she came home with bruises and scars, but at the end of the day, she knew she was doing something to make the world a better place, so she felt immensely happy.

But, here she was again running away from all of this, taking a new job in another country and about to start her life from zero again. The opportunity was great, she couldn't deny that, being the head of Interpol was a job that never in her life did she ever imagine she would get. It was a better opportunity and position with better pay and benefits than the one she currently had, and she got to be the big boss for the first time in her life. It was probably the best opportunity she would ever be offered, but she still found herself in such a dilemma about what to do, and that was why she hesitated to take the job at first when it was offered to her.

 _Flashback:_

Three weeks earlier:

Emily had just returned to her home from a very long and exhausting case. They had been in Oklahoma for three weeks solving a series of different murders that had occurred in the same area almost every Tuesday. Three women had been kidnapped and later found with their organs removed from their bodies; at first, they had believed they were dealing with an organ trafficker, but then, when they found the organs several miles from the first crime scenes, they realized they were dealing with a much more serious issue. It took them several issues to resolve this case, but they finally did...they apprehended the unsub and saved another life. Now, she was home and wanted to do nothing but sleep for the next three days.

She walked into her kitchen after she had taken a long comforting hot shower, and now she was ready to relax, drink some wine, go to bed and sleep until her back hurt. She was pouring herself a glass of wine when her cellphone rang. Emily exhaled angrily, it had better not be a case...please!

"Prentiss?" She answered without even looking at the screen.

"Wow, is that how you answer your old friend's telephone calls?" The voice of Clyde Easter asked, offended.

"Oh my God, Clyde...what an amazing surprise." Emily smiled widely.

"Hello, beautiful, it's been what...three years since I last saw your pretty face?" Clyde asked, in his sexy accent.

"Yes, something like that." Emily laughed on the phone.

"You promised you would come visit, and you never did!" Clyde chastised.

"I know, do you realize how busy my job keeps me...it's insane?" Emily said, sipping at her wine.

"Yeah, I assumed that much, maybe you should leave the BAU, it sounds like they treat you like a slave." Clyde joked. Emily smirked.

"Yes, and what do you suggest I should do for a living...work at a strip club?" Emily teased.

"Well, that wouldn't be a bad idea, I'm sure you would make a fortune." They both laughed.

"Or, you could come back to London." Clyde said gently, smiling widely.

"Work for Interpol again? That'll be the day!" Emily said sarcastically.

"Not work, darling...RUN." Clyde offered. Okay, now Emily was officially in shock and stood holding her phone with her mouth open...in silence without knowing what to say.

"I've been promoted, so the team is yours whenever you want." Clyde finally said.

"Are you serious?" Emily asked, when she was able to speak.

"Is that a yes, then?" Clyde asked, ignoring her question.

"Um...I uh..." But, she didn't know what to say.

"Think about it, please?" Clyde insisted.

"Uh, okay...I...will." Emily said in shock.

"You know I would love to see your beautiful face again." Clyde said.

"Yes, I would like to see you, too." Emily finally said, smiling.

"Come on, Emily, don't you miss this?" Clyde asked.

Emily didn't answer, she just stayed quiet.

"So, I'll wait for your call then?" Clyde asked.

"Yes, I have to think about this."

 _End of Flashback_

Still in shock, Emily hung up the phone; she couldn't believe what she had just heard. Clyde, her old Unit Chief at Interpol, had just offered her the position to run the London Interpol Office, a major promotion...a once in a lifetime opportunity. This was not something you thought about, this was an opportunity you said yes to immediately. However, Emily knew that she needed time to think this through before she made any decisions. She had her current job to consider, plus her friends and family to think about. She absently placed her phone on the counter...what was she going to do?

That had been three weeks ago, and she was going to leave the day after tomorrow. Although she was happy about the decision she had made, and she was definitely sure it was the best thing to do, her heart was still aching. There were so many things she was sad about...she was going to leave her friends, the one family she had where she had felt safe and loved, the amazing people who impacted her life in so many ways for the last three years. It wasn't easy, of course, goodbyes were always hard, but this was different. Emily truly felt like she was leaving a big part of her life behind. In any other situation, she would never have left America...she had finally found what she wanted in life, a job that she loved and enjoyed doing, a beautiful, nice home and an amazing family that had stolen her heart. She truly had felt at some point that she had finally gotten everything she wanted, so what had led her to make the final decision to leave all of this behind and move to another country?

She was running away again, and this time she didn't think she would ever come back. But, what was she running from? Or, actually whom was she running from? That was it...who? That was the entire answer to everything...WHO. Emily Prentiss never thought there would be a day when she would be running away from a man. She had always had a talent for handling men; in fact, it was always them who ended up heartbroken and dazzled by the brunette. But this time, it was different, she was willing to leave everything behind, her life, her friends, the job that she loved because of a man. Emily was moving from America to be as far away as she could from none other than the very stoic Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner. Yes, that was right...Aaron Hotchner was the main reason why she had made the decision to leave the only place she had ever considered a home.

Emily turned the ignition of her car and decided it was time to drive to work and face him, two more days and she would never have to see him again in her lifetime. She never really understood why she hated him so much...okay, wait, hate was a very strong word, she didn't hate him, but she did dislike him completely, and she had since her first day at the BAU. Aaron Hotchner was the only person on the entire team she had never managed to get along with and not for lack of trying, because she surely tried on several occasions to break the ice between them, but she had never succeeded. To this day, she didn't understand why he had never accepted her as a part of the team. After three years, Aaron Hotchner still acted like a complete jerk to her, no matter what she did. When she first started at the BAU, Emily knew it would be difficult to prove herself to the team and to her boss, but she was very determined and driven, and she knew she could gain their respect if she really tried. She started on great terms, everyone liked her, and they realized she was very good at her job; even the directors of the BAU were surprised with her abilities. Erin Strauss accepted Emily immediately, and even implied on several occasions that she could have great opportunities in the direction of the FBI with her talent and her abilities; of course, that was also due to the fact that she had several degrees and spoke at least six different languages fluently. But, she was also great at her job...she knew she was doing well, the team had seen it, even Rossi often complimented her, but not the Unit Chief, no...Aaron Hotchner seemed to believe Emily was completely out of her league in the bureau, and the team could perform just as well without her.

She had no idea why he didn't like her or accept her as a part of the team, but he was very obvious about his feeling toward the brunette. He often made her re-write reports and stay after hours, and he had never in their three years working together paired her with him, even when it was absolutely necessary; he preferred to go alone and send the brunette alone as well. Emily had no idea what could possibly be the reason for this behavior toward her, and she had on several occasions tried to smooth things out between them, but had been unsuccessful. It was almost as if he avoided her 100% of the time, outside the job and while on duty. Every time the team gathered to go out for drinks, or at someone's house for a get together, or a party, he didn't go if he knew she would be there. Emily herself had a barbecue at her house several times and all of the team was there except for Hotch, and even at the Christmas celebrations and important holidays, he simply didn't come.

That had been very hard on Emily; she had done everything she could think of to make things better and nothing had worked, and honestly, she was simply tired of trying. No matter what she did, she knew Aaron Hotchner would never like her or accept her, she would never be good enough in his eyes, and she simply didn't want to feel this way anymore. So, she had decided to take the job offer in London. Yes, she would miss her job and her family and everything she had found in DC, but she also wanted to feel happy at her job again, with everything she did, and no matter how much she had tried to avoid the situation, she simply wasn't happy anymore at the BAU.

She arrived at the BAU and parked her car hoping her day would go by rapidly; she got out of her car and made her way to the elevators. She sighed, feeling weird that she definitely had gotten attached to this building along with many other things, but she needed to move on and continue with her life. The elevator doors opened, and she made her way to her soon to be ex-desk, putting down her belongings. As usual, she was the first one to arrive, except of course, for Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner, who was usually there before sunrise. She sat down at her desk and realized she didn't really have much to do. She had turned in her last stack of paperwork the night before and she was basically done. She would check around on some other cases just to keep herself occupied for the next couple of days. Emily was about to open one of the cases when someone called her name.

"Agent Prentiss, I'm glad you're here, may I talk with you in my office for a second, please." The very proper Agent Hotchner said with a sour look on his face, one that Emily had gotten used to.

"Ummmm sure." Emily said, standing up from her desk and walking toward his office. She stepped in as he sat down signaling for her to do the same. Okay, this better not be a bad thing, but knowing him, it probably wasn't.

"What can I do for you, sir?" Emily asked politely.

"I just wanted to check on something with you about the last files you turned in." The Unit Chief said in a harsh tone. Emily arched her eyebrows...she just turned that in last night, what could possibly be wrong with them.

"What about them, I turned everything in last night, every single case." She said, concerned.

"Yes, you did." He said, dismissively.

"Then...what's the matter?" She asked, arching her eyebrows.

"I know that your last day is tomorrow, and you probably don't care about this job any longer, but I still expect you to perform in a decent manner." Hotch said, looking at her with fire in his eyes.

"What do you mean 'decent'?" She asked, offended.

"I need you to re-do these, please." He said, handing her back a stack of files...it was at least eight of the ones she turned in last night.

"Excuse me, you want me to re-write everything again? Are you serious? It took me a week to write these." She stated incredulously. She truly had taken a week, and she knew she had outdone herself with those files.

"They are poorly written, and this is completely unacceptable even for you, Agent Prentiss." Hotch told her, glaring at her. Emily just stood there frozen, she truly fought the urgency to stand up and slap him senseless right across the face, and she felt herself turning bright red.

"While the BAU might not be important to you any longer, you're still expected to meet the standards and expectations." Hotch said, standing up indicating the meeting was over. Emily, however, remained there aghast...she couldn't believe what she was hearing; the reports where not poorly written, and she knew it, she was so angry she truly wanted to kill him.

"Is there a problem, Agent Prentiss?" Hotch asked, realizing she was still sitting down.

"No sir, no problem at all." She said, picking up the files and walking away without even looking at him, but she definitely had fire in her eyes.

Morgan and Reid were already at their desks when she approached her desk. She sat down slamming the files down and opening her drawer angrily.

"Why so charming this morning, princess?" Morgan asked, teasing her.

"How many languages can you say asshole in?" Emily asked, lowering her voice so Hotch would not hear her. Morgan looked up to his boss's office, knowing that he probably had something to do with her anger. Morgan was very well aware of the icy front between her and Hotch.

"Come on, princess, can you two try to at least get along on your last two days here?" He joked.

Emily just shook her head angrily. She was going to be there at least until midnight redoing those files. What the hell did she ever do to him to deserve this type of treatment from him? Why the hell did he hate her so much. She closed her eyes, fighting back the tears, saying to herself, just one more day, and she would never have to see him again.

She basically spent her entire day re-doing those files, she didn't even stop for lunch, when the girls came and asked her to go with them one last time to their favorite sushi buffet, she declined, saying she had a lot of files she had forgotten that she had to finish. It was almost one in the morning when she finished all the files, and to her surprise, Hotch was still there. Strauss had arrived a few hours before, and they were still talking in his office. His door wasn't closed, so she assumed it wasn't important. she really didn't want to interrupt, but she was exhausted. She had arrived at seven that morning, and it was almost one am now. All she wanted to do was go home and sleep. Tomorrow would be the last day she would ever have to see her asshole boss again. She was absolutely sure now, more than ever, that she had made the right decision to leave the country. She made her way to his office and tapped on the door gently.

"I'm very sorry to interrupt." She said, looking at the two of them with a small smile. Hotch just glared at her as if she had just done a very disrespectful thing.

"Agent Prentiss, come in sit down, we were just talking about you." Strauss said, smiling widely at Emily. Great, now what!

"Sit, please." Strauss ordered again. What the hell did they want...it was late, and she wanted to go home.

"Agent Hotchner and I were just discussing how awful it is that you are leaving us. I really wish there was something we could do to change your mind." Emily just looked at her in shock, and by the look on Hotch's face, she was the only one that felt that way.

"You are a such a wonderful and talented asset for the BAU, and your work has always been impressive." Strauss added, glaring at Hotch. Emily knew Strauss and Hotch hated each other.

"Thank you, ma'am." Emily said, since she didn't know what else to say.

"I mean, Agent Prentiss, the work you turned in last night was beyond outstanding...even the directors were impressed." With that, Emily's mouth dropped open. She turned to look at Hotch incredulously, she had just spent nearly eighteen hours rewriting those reports, okay, now, she was seriously pissed.

"Thank you, ma'am." She said again, shaking.

"You would have made a great Unit Chief for this division." Strauss added, looking at Hotch evilly, that obviously had made Hotch very uncomfortable.

"It is such a shame we are losing you, Emily. I do really wish you the best." Strauss finally added, shaking her hand, as she turned around and look at Hotch.

"We will continue our conversation tomorrow, Agent Hotchner." And with that, she walked out of the office leaving Emily and Hotch alone. Emily was bright red, and Hotch could see it on her face.

"Here are the files, Sir." She said, looking at him with hatred in her eyes.

"I hope this does meet with YOUR expectations." She added a little coldly. Hotch was going to say something, but she didn't let him. She stormed out of his office without even looking at him, walking to her desk and picking up her belongings. She got on the elevators praying to God to give her the strength to compose herself and tolerate him for one more day, One more day, that was all she would ever in her life have to tolerate or see him again.


	2. Chapter 2

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 2: A Very Unusual Goodbye

Emily was in her hotel room at the Crowne Plaza; it sounded silly, yeah, but a necessity because all her belongings were already shipped to London, all she had left were a couple of suitcases with her clothing and a few other things she had used the last couple of days. She had sublet her apartment a couple weeks ago, and although Penelope and JJ insisted that she stay with one of them, she refused, because she needed her personal space, even if it was only a hotel room.

Emily checked her reflection in the mirror as she finished the last strands of her curly hair. She truly looked tired and paler than usual; if it were up to her, she would have stayed in the room tonight, ordered room service, had some wine and then go to bed. Her plane departure wasn't until noon the next day, but still she wanted to stay in bed and mourn leaving her family. She still didn't understand why all of a sudden, she had gotten so emotional about leaving. She thought she had it all under control, but now, now, she just felt like crying. Come on...Emily, what is wrong with you...man up...you're not weak! You're doing the right thing...wasn't she?

She hated feeling this way, everything was fine until this morning and all of a sudden, she felt like she should be staying, looking at all her friends so sadly because she was leaving made her feel sad, and it made her question her actions. See, this was exactly why she didn't want to go out tonight...she hated goodbyes, if it was up to her she would have left without saying goodbye, and it would have been so much easier. But no, her friends had to throw her a going away party and here she was trying to get ready; the girls would pick her up any minute, and she wasn't ready...or, maybe she didn't want to be.

This morning when she woke up, everything was fine...she thought she had a decision made that she was going to finish her last day and then go home, get ready and say goodbye, then leave and start her new life in London. But, something that day had made her feel different, unsecure, uncertain about her actions, and she wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was the fact that Spencer had come to her asking her if there was anything he could do to make her stay. Emily knew he was hurting the most, and that she was basically the only one that always listened to him and made him feel better, and now that she was leaving, he felt lost, he wasn't happy. Emily tried to tell him they could still talk and Skype every night, they could email each other, and she even suggested he could come to London as many times as he wanted, but none of those options seemed enough for the young profiler. Or, maybe it was the fact that Strauss had pulled her into her office saying for the hundredth time what a terrible thing it was that she was leaving, and that the BAU would not be the same without her. Then, for the second time, Strauss mentioned how Emily would have been a great Unit Chief...a better one than the one they currently had, but Emily knew perfectly well she was just saying that because she hated Hotch, another reason why she and her now ex-boss had never liked each other. Strauss had always bragged about her excellent skills in front of him, something that truly made her former boss mad.

Then, there were the flowers incident. Emily had arrived to her desk early in the morning only to find a big bouquet of roses and calla lilies, bigger than any she had ever seen. The bouquet had no note, and she had no idea who they were from...she didn't have a boyfriend, or anyone that could possibly have that kind of attention for her, at least no one in America. She and the girls tried to come up with different scenarios to whom could have sent the flowers, and while they had fun trying to figure out the sender, none of their options were truly realistic, especially not the idea of old Detective Gray from Counter Terrorism on the Eighth floor. In the end, she had ended up giving the flowers to Garcia so she could decorate her office because she didn't want to take the flowers to the hotel; number one, she was leaving the next day and they would be thrown away and number two, she had no idea who they were from, for all she knew, it could be from a psycho creep stalker. That idea really made her uncomfortable so she gave the flowers away. Whatever it was that had happened that day, it had really put her in a very weird mood, and she really wished she could cancel this party and just stay in, but she couldn't do that to her friends.

A knock on the door brought her back from her thoughts, and she walked to the door, checking through the peephole...she smiled opening the door to her best friends, who were already laughing loudly and ready to party.

"Oh no, is that what you're wearing?" JJ asked arching her eyebrows.

"Hello to you, too." Emily said, walking towards the bed to pick up her jacket.

"Emily, she's right, you can't go out dressed like that!" Penelope stated.

"Dressed like what!?" Emily asked, almost offended.

"Like you are going to the supermarket, or something." JJ said, looking at the brunette in a pair of jeans and black shirt.

"We're going to a bar, JJ, what do you want me to wear? A wedding dress?"

"Actually, it's a club, and yes, something with more meaning to it." Garcia said, exasperated.

"This is all I have...everything else has been shipped already." Emily said rolling her eyes.

"See, this is the part were you thank God for having amazing friends." JJ said, handing her the shopping bag.

"What is this?" Emily asked, looking at the blonde skeptically. Emily took the bag and opened it, her face showing shock immediately.

"Oh...no...no...no...I'm not wearing that...forget it!" Emily protested, handing the shopping bag back to her.

"Oh, come on, Emily, don't be such a stick in the mud, it's your last night here." Penelope said, taking the bag from JJ's hand and removing the contents.

"Go...change!" The blonde ordered, handing her the outfit.

"There is no way I'm going out dressed like that." Emily stated stubbornly.

"Can you at least try it on please, just once? If you don't like it, then we can stop and buy you a nun's outfit." JJ said, sarcastically.

Emily knew that if she didn't at least try it on, they would not leave her alone, so, she grunted angrily and took the outfit from Penelope's hand, rolling her eyes and going into the bathroom.

A few minutes later Emily came out.

"Oh my God, you look..." JJ said, smiling widely.

"Like a slut?" Emily asked, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Stunning!" JJ finished.

"Hot, beautiful, breathtaking." Garcia added.

Emily turned around to check herself in the mirror, the black strapless satin dress clung onto every single one of her curves, just like it should...it was tight and several inches above her knees. The black, tall stilettos made her look even taller. Her hair was held by a few pins, and it cascaded down her back in soft curls, and the black, smoky makeup she had chosen matched perfectly with the new dress.

"I don't know, I feel...weird." She said, nervously.

"Emily, you look beautiful, seriously, with that ass you'll kill everyone tonight." JJ said, smiling.

Emily sighed, she did like the way it looked, maybe it wasn't a bad idea...it was her last night in the States, after all, maybe she should loosen up and have a little fun.

"Fine, but I'm wearing a sweater on the top!" Emily said, walking toward her suitcase to find a black sweater to wear.

"Yeah...whatever you say...let's go, please." JJ rushed them, smiling widely. Emily truly looked beautiful.

The three friends left happily in JJ's car and drove to the club where they had planned to meet everyone else, "The Palace Night Club." JJ and Garcia were also wearing dresses, and they were planning on having a great night...they were sad that Emily was leaving, but they knew she had made her choice, and they had to respect that. Knowing their friendship would not end tonight, but it was going to be very hard to maintain it having one of their best friends so far away.

The girls entered the nightclub and were greeted with loud music and a good atmosphere; the club was very nice and one of the most exclusive ones in D.C. Emily quickly scanned around still feeling very uncomfortable in that outfit. She truly felt like a slut, but it was her last night there, so she was trying not to draw too much attention to herself.

The girls walked toward where Derek and Dave were sitting; they had already ordered a bottle of scotch and some beers, along with some appetizers, and they had also brought Emily a large, beautiful bouquet of flowers and balloons for Emily.

"Hey guys." Emily greeted.

"Whoa, princess, you look..." Morgan stated, but the scolding look she sent him made him change his wording. "Gorgeous." He finished, pulling her to him for a hug and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, you don't look too bad yourself." She said, blushing slightly.

"Dave," Emily said, turning her attention to Dave for a hug.

"You look truly beautiful, Em." Dave said, realizing how stunning the brunette looked in that dress.

"Where's Spence?" JJ asked, after she and Penelope greeted the boys.

"He went to the bathroom, he's probably hiding there from all the women in the club." Derek said, laughing.

The girls sat down and Dave made some drinks for them, and their fun nights started with light conversation and drinks; they were just talking and enjoying their friend's company one last time. It truly was heart wrenching for everyone on the team to lose Emily, but they loved her and they supported her decision, and for now, they just wanted to make her last night the best one they possibly could for her.

A little while later, Penelope and Derek started to dance and have fun, JJ also took Spencer to the dance floor, while Emily and Dave watched and enjoyed their drinks.

"May I?" Dave asked, placing his drink down and putting his hand out to Emily to escort her to the dance floor. Emily just laughed and took his hand, with Dave leading her to the dance floor, and she relaxed as she enjoyed the music with Dave. Her friends were all happy and smiling, and she was thinking that maybe it had not been a bad idea to go out tonight...the company was amazing and so was the place and the drinks, this was her last night with them and she was planning to enjoy it to the fullest and nothing or anyone could change that...except...maybe...

"Oh...no...what's he doing here?" Emily hissed.

Dave turned around to see what had gotten her so upset all of a sudden, and his eyes were meeting with none other than Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner. He was surprisingly not wearing one of his elegant suits and tie; he was, instead, wearing a pair of black pants and a black dress shirt with no tie.

"The girls invited him, too...they thought you might like to see everyone your last night here." Dave said, looking at the brunette who suddenly seemed very uncomfortable.

"Yes, everyone but him!" She said angrily. She knew she sounded like a whiney teenager, but she didn't care...he truly had made her life a living hell, and she really wanted never to see him again.

"Come on, Em, give the man a chance. It's the last time you'll see him." Dave said, smiling at her. Emily just nodded, irritated.

"I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be right back!" She said, trying to avoid the Unit Chief, Dave nodded and walked back toward the table to meet Aaron.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you here tonight." Dave smiled.

"Yeah, I'm not much of a party person, but JJ insisted so much, after all, it is Prentiss's last night here." Hotch said, looking at his friend, Dave just smirked.

"Prentiss? Really? Jesus, Aaron, you can't even call her by her name her last night here? She doesn't work for you any longer!" Hotch ignored his comment and reached for the bottle of scotch pouring some in a glass.

Meanwhile, Emily was looking at herself in the mirror of the girl's bathroom; she wasn't sure why she had gotten so angry, but his presence really bothered her. What the hell was he doing here, and who the hell had invited him? This was a party for her and her friends only. He had nothing to do with her, but she had manners, and she wasn't going to forget those just because of him. And, on top of everything else, she had left her sweater at the table and now she truly felt like a slut showing everything. But, she had to return to the table no matter what. She made her way back to the table where her friends where. Her now ex-boss was talking to Dave with his back to her, and he wasn't aware when she approached the table, until Dave reminded Hotch she was there.

"I was beginning to think some guy had kidnapped you in the bathroom." Dave said, smiling and joking around...Emily just rolled her eyes, smiling at him, and just in that moment, the Unit Chief turned around to face her...his shock was very evident in his reaction to her...

His jaw completely dropped, and he couldn't concentrate on anything else; he had never seen Emily dressed in anything other than professional clothes...

"Pre...Pre...Hi, Emily." He said, stammering...he could barely articulate the words.

"Hello, Sir." She spat coldly, hardly looking at him, as she sat down at the table and turning her attention to her friends.

Emily decided to ignore him the rest of the night and just have fun with her friends. The conversation quickly returned to normal, and so did their night. The team spent the rest of the night drinking and dancing; they were having a great time, and Emily was planning to enjoy her last night to its fullest. She danced with Dave again and with Derek, she even danced with Spencer and with the girls. Her former boss, however, spent most of the night at the table. Emily had not noticed, however, that his eyes had not strayed from her all night long.

It was very late at night and almost everyone was more than drunk, but they were still having fun. Emily was on the floor dancing with the girls when a few guys approached them and started dancing with them. One of the guys took Emily aside, and Hotch didn't like the way he was looking at her. The guy tried to pull Emily toward him, but Emily rejected him politely removing his hands from her. Hotch immediately stepped up from the table and approached them, while the guy tried to pull Emily toward him again, but Hotch stepped in, grabbing the brunette by the waist lightly and pulled her toward him.

"Excuse me, she's not alone." He told the guy, looking at him with piercing eyes. The guy immediately stepped away and left.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Emily said angrily, looking at her old Unit Chief.

"He had his hands all over you!" Hotch said angrily.

"Why do you care, are you my father or what?" Emily spat angrily.

"No, but I'm not going to let anyone disrespect you." He replied evenly.

"Whatever, I'm going back to the table." She said, rolling her eyes trying to move away from him, but he pulled her closer to him by her waist.

"Don't leave, dance with me." He said, looking at her intensely, there was something in his eyes. Emily could see it, but she didn't know what it was, she wanted to move, but suddenly she froze looking at him.

Just as they were going to start dancing a slow song started and Hotch wrapped his arm around the brunette's waist and pulled her closer to him, their eyes connected…Emily wanted to move but she couldn't; never in her life did she ever imagine that she would be dancing this close with the man that she hated, the man that had made her life at the BAU a living hell, she hated him, right? Then, why in the hell couldn't she move away from him, she was frozen, this felt...so...good...the closeness. He started swaying her around slowly, and she let him lead her on the floor, their eyes still connected. What was the spark she was seeing in his eyes? This wasn't right and yet it felt so good. After the song was over, Emily finally managed to pull away from him.

"I...think we should go back to the table." She started walking away from him and avoiding his gaze. Hotch just watched her as she walked away. Why could he not take his eyes away from her? Wasn't he supposed to dislike the female completely?

Reid was the first one to leave that night, claiming that he was very uncomfortable, and it was past his bed time. He said goodbye to Emily and then left; a little while later, Dave, too, said he had to leave because he was tired, although Emily was sure someone was already waiting for him at home. JJ, Garcia and Morgan stayed with Emily, as well as Hotch, and it wasn't until almost one thirty in the morning when Derek said it was too late, and he wanted to go home as well. Penelope took the opportunity to tell Derek to take her home since she was drunk. JJ had already called Will, and he was on his way to pick her up. JJ had asked Will to take Emily back to the hotel, as well.

Shortly afterward, Will walked in the bar to pick up JJ and Emily. It had been a great night, but now JJ was truly tired, however, Emily had gone to the bathroom and she had not returned, and that had been like fifteen minutes ago.

"What the hell is she doing in the bathroom?" JJ hissed, annoyed.

"Go check on her JJ, it's late, and I want to go home to Henry. He's with the babysitter." Will said, looking at his watch.

"Why don't you go home, JJ, I can take Emily to her hotel." Hotch offered.

"No, Hotch, I don't want to bother you, we can wait for her right, Will?" She said, looking at her boyfriend with piercing eyes.

"It's no bother, JJ, you're tired, and Will is waiting, besides, Emily didn't want to leave, just go, I promise I'll take her back to the hotel and made sure she gets there safely." Hotch offered again.

JJ turned to look at Hotch, then at her boyfriend, who looked really irritated, and she finally nodded.

"Okay, but make sure she calls me when she gets to her room, please." JJ told Hotch, picking up her coat. Hotch nodded and watched as JJ left the bar with her boyfriend.

About ten minutes later, Emily returned from the bathroom, looking more relaxed and smiling widely. Hotch had never realized what a nice smile she had.

"Where's JJ?" She asked, looking around.

"She left, they had to get back to Henry." Hotch said shyly.

"What! She LEFT?" Emily said, raising her voice.

"It's okay, relax, I'm taking you back to the hotel." He offered.

"No thanks, I don't need your help." Emily said rudely, picking up her purse and sweater and walking toward the exit.

"Emily wait, stop, where're you going?" Hotch said, chasing after her.

"I'm taking a cab, thanks for your help, but I don't need anything from you." Emily said, but he grabbed her arm gently.

"Emily, please, you're drunk, let me take you." Hotch said politely, realizing how stubborn the brunette was, she ignored him and stepped to the curb to call a cab…Hotch watched from a few feet away.

The drunk guy that had tried to dance with her approached her again, his eyes scanning her body in a way that made Hotch very uncomfortable.

"Hey doll, do you need a ride home?" He asked, trying to pull the brunette toward him.

"No thanks." Emily said, pulling away from him and walking away.

"Come on, doll, we can have a lot of fun, baby." He was going to pull her to him again when Hotch jumped on him, pushing him away from her and knocking the guy to the sidewalk.

"Get your hands off her." Hotch hissed angrily.

"What is wrong with you!?" Emily asked indignantly, then looking at the guy on the sidewalk that was drunkenly struggling to get up from the sidewalk.

"We're leaving now." He said, grabbing her firmly and ignoring her statement, he walked toward his car holding her firmly. When they arrived at his car, she finally was able to release herself from his firm hold.

"Let go of me, Hotch, what the fuck is your problem?" She said angrily, snatching her arm from his grip.

"You are drunk, Emily, and that asshole wanted to take advantage of you." Hotch finally said angrily.

"Well, that's my problem, isn't it?" She spat, looking at him defiantly.

"Get in the car, Emily." Hotch ordered, trying not lose his cool.

"No, I'd rather go with that guy than go with you!" She said, glaring at him.

"You don't even know that guy." He said, glaring at her with piercing eyes.

"Well, I'm sure he's better than you, even if he had taken me to his place." Emily said. She was drunk and knew she was playing with fire, but she didn't care.

"You have no idea what you are talking about, get in the car, please." Hotch said angrily.

"No! And leave, please, I just never want to see you in my life again." Emily said, trying to move away from him…but he pulled her closer to him a little more roughly than he had intended to. For a minute, their faces were just inches apart, he froze and so did she, he could smell her sweet, intoxicating fragrance. Neither of them knew how it happened but it did…their lips met, and he captured her mouth in a kiss. At first, it was weird, but very soon it turned heated and passionate…he wanted to stop, he was drunk and so was she, and he knew this wasn't right, but he couldn't stop himself. Emily wanted to push him away from her, her mind was screaming at her to stop this, telling her this was very wrong but her heart said something else, they stayed like that locked in a kiss until they finally pulled away.

"Get in the car please, let me take you home." Hotch said softly, looking at her deeply. Emily just nodded and got in the car as he opened the door for her. Something had just happened…she should not have let her boss kiss her and neither should she be letting her boss take her to the hotel, but she couldn't stop herself. It was as if suddenly her mind was being controlled by someone else. Hotch got in the car and began driving toward her hotel. He had broken the rules, he had kissed his subordinate, he should feel ashamed of his actions and technically he was supposed to hate her, but all he could think of at the moment was the beautiful woman that was sitting next to him.

When they arrived at the hotel, he parked his car and then got out to open the door for her.

"Do you want me to walk you to your room?" He asked, knowing that he was playing with fire, and he needed to just leave her there and go back to his house.

Emily got out of the car taking his hand gently, she knew she was to drunk to think straight, and she needed to tell Hotch "NO" and go to her room and forget about the kiss.

"Yeah, why don't you come upstairs and have another drink with me, I'm not tired." _What the hell is wrong with you, Emily, he's your boss, or was, and you hate him, remember?_

"Okay, I would like that." _No, what are you doing, idiot...go home, this is not correct...you need to go back to your place and just forget about her._

They took the elevator that led them to her room; he was nervous, he knew he shouldn't be doing this, but he couldn't stop himself and more importantly, he couldn't take his eyes away from the beautiful brunette. When they arrived at her room, Emily opened the door and walked inside the room, with Hotch following after her.

"What do you want to drink? She asked, taking off her shoes and walking toward the minibar.

"I...um...anything is fine." He said nervously, sitting down on the sofa.

Emily walked to the liquor cabinet and selected two glasses, filling them with ice, and after pouring whisky in them, she walked back toward where Hotch was sitting. He took the glass from her hand, and they drank silently. But when he was finished with the drink, Emily poured them another drink, and since they were already drunk, Hotch knew they needed to stop things there.

"Emily, I think I should leave, it's late and you need to rest." He said, standing up.

"Come on, Hotch, don't be such a chicken, after all, you will never see me after tomorrow." She said, glaring at him, and she didn't make her tone very nice. _Stop Emily, stop whatever you're doing, this isn't right._

"Emily,..." He started.

"Just tell me something..." Drinking almost all the whisky in her glass.

"Why do you hate me as much as you do?" She needed to know, she had always wanted to know.

"I don't hate you, Emily.' Hotch said, he was also drunk, and he wasn't thinking clearly either.

"Oh, you don't? Then why the hell did you treat me the way you did all this time? Why did you never accept me as part of the team?" She asked, raising her voice and getting very close to him…only inches away from him.

"Emily, let's not do this now, please." He said, trying to calm her down.

"No really, answer me...why do you hate me as much as you do? What the hell did I ever do to you?" She asked, again raising her voice louder.

Hotch pulled her to him again, unable to control himself any longer, and he started kissing her again, more passionately and more intensely than before, he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him. Emily was angry and she wanted answers…she wanted to know why in the hell he had been an asshole to her all this time, but she couldn't stop her self from wrapping her arms around his neck and surrendering to his kisses.

He slowly moved them to the bed while kissing her senseless; he couldn't think rationally anymore, he had fought this for a very long time and tonight, tonight he simply wouldn't hold himself back. He pulled away from her mouth slowly looking at her, she was absolutely stunningly beautiful, and he let his mouth move slowly to her neck nibbling and biting at the soft skin gently. Emily wanted so badly to stop him from doing this, but she just couldn't…she thought she had hated the man for the last three years, but now, right in this moment, all she could think of was his manly scent and the delicious things his mouth was doing to her. They kissed for a very long time until his desire grew stronger and he needed more of her. Very slowly, his hand moved to the back of her dress undoing the zipper and letting her dress fall from her beautiful body onto the carpet. His eyes turned to fire as he watched her beautiful alabaster skin and her breasts being exposed to him, and he gently laid her on the bed kissing her lips sweetly and looking into her eyes.

"Hotch." Emily said breathlessly.

"Aaron." He corrected her looking at her with desire and lust and something else.

This time it was Emily who captured his mouth in a kiss, she had never in her life felt so turned on by anyone, the shivers that he was making her feel, the butterflies in her stomach, no man had ever made her tremble with a caress, with a kiss, the way he was kissing her, it simply couldn't be described.

She moved her hands to his shirt and started unbuttoning his shirt gently while his mouth assaulted her neck and breasts. Very slowly, she removed his shirt running her hands over his toned chest and abdomen. Hotch grabbed her hands gently, lacing their fingers and moving them to the back of her head, kissing her with so much passion. He had never felt this with any other woman, not even Haley at the beginning of their marriage, the strong desire, the tingling in his stomach, this woman was truly and utterly beautiful and she had a delightful body, he was so hard, just thinking about it was almost painful.

Emily unlaced their fingers for a moment to run her hands over his shoulder blades and back, making him shiver at the contact of her soft hands. Very slowly, she moved her hands to his ass, and then to the front of his pants, undoing the zipper of his pants and unbuckling his belt. The passion and desire was overwhelming for both of them, Hotch stood up for a minute to take off his pants and shoes, then returned to the bed and began kissing her from the tip of her toes to her mouth, sending electrical currents through the brunette's body, as she felt her thong become soaked.

He captured her mouth again softer this time, enjoying each second, tasting her sweet lips and the whisky on her tongue, their thoughts battling and dancing against each other, while his hand slowly moved down her sides and over her smooth legs, feeling the soft skin under his fingertips, her skin felt like porcelain, and her intoxicating fragrance was filling his nostrils. He slowly moved his hand in between her legs, touching her intimately and watching as she arched her back and closed her eyes in pleasure.

Very slowly and keeping eye contact with her, he removed her underwear, his eyes burning with desire, the strongest desire he had ever felt with anyone else. He leaned down to kiss her lips again, almost biting her as she moaned in pleasure, her hand moving inside his boxers to cup his erection. One thing she never in her life would have imagined was that the very stoic Aaron Hotchner was this passionate, and this BIG! Their lips connected in a kiss again, as his fingertips played with her silky folds.

"Oh, mmmm." Emily whimpered, as he moved one finger inside her wet core, then he slowly continued kissing his way down to her glistening sex. He lapped at her slit making her moan in pleasure, and he kept slowly laving her folds with his tongue until she couldn't control herself any longer and pulled him back toward her.

Their mouths met in a passionate and fiery kiss this time, both unable to control themselves. Emily flipped them on the bed seating herself on top of him while their mouths were joined. She positioned his rock hard member at her entrance and slowly sank onto his erection, as they both moaned in pleasure.

"Oh God, Emily..." Aaron cried in pleasure, as the brunette rode him slowly…almost painfully.

He ran his hands down her smooth back and then brought her breasts to his mouth, licking and biting each one, then drawing both hardened nipples into his mouth and sucking on them all the while running his tongue around each hardened peak. He took such pleasure watching this dazzling woman that was making him melt alive, and he finally managed to gain strength and flipped them over on the bed to put himself on top of her while he made love to her passionately and softly. He watched as the brunette arched her back when the first orgasm hit her.

"Oh God, Aaron!" She screamed.

He continued his slow and deep thrusts all the while kissing her and biting on her neck while her hands wandered around his back and his ass, pushing him deeper inside her. Very soon, his pace became deeper and stronger, making her whimper and moan loudly. Their bodies stuck together by their sweat, but their passion was insatiable, and very soon they both shared a very powerful and intense orgasm.

"Jesus...Emily, you feel so damn good!" He whimpered in her ear.

"Oh God, yes!" Emily screamed again, as they both came down from the euphoria.

He stayed inside her, kissing her sweetly until both of their breaths evened out. Then he slowly pulled out of her resting on the mattress. Emily turned on her side and closed her eyes trying to catch her breath; he spooned behind her wrapping his arm around her.

"Emily." He wanted to say it, but he couldn't form the words. _Say it, just say it, tell her to stay, not to leave, just say it._

She turned to meet his gaze and kissed his lips lightly one more time, then she turned on her side again, resting against his chest.

"I just need to know why you always acted like that with me." She said softly, almost in a whisper.

He froze, he couldn't answer her, he softly laced their hands together again, running his finger tips softly over her porcelain skin...he needed to answer her, but he couldn't, he tried to speak, but he couldn't. He stayed like that for a few minutes caressing her soft skin and feeling the warmth of her body, comforting her. She closed her eyes, she was too tired and drunk to think anymore.

"Because you are too damn beautiful." He finally said, very softly, surprising himself.

Emily, however. had already fallen asleep, and she didn't hear what he replied to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 3: Heartbroken

Emily stirred in her sleep and felt her head exploding and her whole body in pain; she didn't want to open her eyes, but the bright sun blinded her and the dryness of her mouth woke her from her peaceful slumber. She shouldn't have drunk as much as she did the night before...she knew better than that because she had many bad experiences with tequila and whisky but none of that stopped her. As she became more conscious and rubbed her eyes, she finally was aware of the heavy arm snaked around her midsection. She tried to move but she couldn't, and when she finally opened her eyes, she was in her bed in the hotel room with the soft sheet covering her naked frame and next to her with his arm wrapped around her was the stoic Aaron Hotchner, naked as well. Emily gasped as the crude reality hit her body. ' _Dammit_ ' she cursed herself internally. The slow images of the night before started running through her head...she had slept with her boss! She moved slowly out of the bed being very careful not to wake him; she covered her naked frame with one of the bed covers and carefully, without making a single noise, stepped inside the bathroom.

What the fuck was wrong with her...how could she have possibly slept with him! This was so wrong...she should have never done this...how could she have been so stupid as to sleep with him...this clearly was a mistake for him, and when he wakes up, he was going to regret being with her! Emily quietly turned on the water in the sink and rinsed her face and brushed her teeth as heavy tears streamed down her face, she should never have slept with him. She quietly stepped out of the bathroom and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater. She didn't even take a shower; she was in such a rush to leave that a shower would have to wait. Emily quickly collected all her belongings and her suitcases and left the hotel room in a rush. She didn't want to see him when he woke up because she didn't want to see the regret on his face, and she wanted to save their embarrassment when he told her that whatever had happened between them had clearly been a mistake. She rushed outside the hotel to call a cab needing to get out of there as soon as possible. Emily knew that she was acting like a child, but she didn't think she could face him after what they had done. She hailed a cab, and after the cabbie helped get her suitcases in the trunk, they left for the airport.

As the cab was driving toward the airport, Emily couldn't stop the fresh tears that were rolling down her cheeks, as the images of the night of passion they had shared came into her mind...how she had come to this place, she wasn't sure. Yes, she had probably fantasized endless times about having sex with her boss, even though she hated him, but she never thought it would actually happen. Okay, yes, she hated him, but he was a very attractive man, he was a great leader and an excellent father to his son, Jack. Emily didn't know much about the failure of his marriage, but she knew that he was totally devoted to his son and to his job; he was an amazing leader and a great role model. If she didn't have to hate him, she would probably love him. She wasn't even sure anymore why she had started hating him, but at some point, she had. Last night had been amazing, and even if she was drunk, she could still remember the way his hands felt on her skin, the way his soft lips felt against her mouth and her most intimate parts. Emily closed her eyes and the image of him on top of her kissing her while he moved slowly inside her came to her mind, it looked so real, so passionate, almost as if he was not drunk, and he had really wanted her. She had experienced one of the most intense orgasm she had ever had in her life; in fact, no man had ever made her feel the way Aaron Hotchner had, but she knew that for him, it had just been alcohol and a mistake.

She wiped her eyes as fresh tears rolled down her face. This is exactly what happened every time she got her heart involved. She would give herself completely, and she would end up heartbroken. Emily should have know better than this, how could she have been so stupid as to drink that much and end up sleeping with her boss! And worse yet, her feelings had gotten exposed. She had given her self completely to him the night before, and she was very sure he had seen that in her eyes...how she had come to this place she didn't know. Somewhere along the way, she had found herself attracted to her superior, and she had buried those feelings deep inside her heart. But last night, those feelings had been exposed and now she felt terrible, he would probably laugh about her, and brag to everyone about how he had managed to take her to bed. Thankfully, she would never have to see him or anyone that was around him again, since in a few hours she would be flying to London, and she could forget that this night ever happened.

Aaron woke up as the hangover started hitting his body. He moved his arm searching for the warm body of the beautiful brunette but he couldn't find her. He opened his eyes slowly and realized Emily wasn't in bed with him any longer. He sat up in the bed, listening for the shower in the bathroom which he couldn't hear, so he wasn't sure if she was taking a shower. He got out of bed putting on his boxers; maybe he could order room service, and they could spend the last couple of hours she had in the country in bed talking and learning a little about one another. He needed to tell her how he felt about her, what the night they had just spent had meant to him, and that never in his life had he ever imagined he would have such an amazing night with her. Last night had been one of the most wonderful nights of his life, no woman had ever made love to him the way Emily had, not even Haley when they were first married; he knew he had fought his feelings for her for a very long time, but he just couldn't anymore; last night, he had realized how he truly felt about her, he had finally understood why he had pushed her away from him...he had deep feelings for her and he'd had them for a long time; but how could he not? Emily was utterly beautiful, she was more than a capable agent, and one of the best ones he had ever worked with, she was kind and a wonderful human being, and after the night he had shared with her, he had realize that he was crazy about her.

He walked toward the bathroom and knocked on the door softly.

"Emily, are you in there?" No answer.

He slowly opened the door, and he was met with the surprise that she wasn't in the bathroom...then finally, realization came to his mind. The suitcases that had been there the night before were no longer there; in fact, there were no signs that Emily had ever been there at all. This couldn't be possible; Emily wouldn't have just left like that without saying goodbye, without saying a word to him. He walked toward the nightstand and picked up his cellphone dialing her number, and just as he had feared, it went straight to voicemail. His heart began beating very fast...she didn't, she couldn't have done this. He reached for the hotel room phone, dialing the front desk, and a very polite gentleman answered the phone.

"Hi, I'm Aaron Hotchner, I'm looking for my friend who was staying in this room." He asked, stammering, since he wasn't sure what to say.

"Miss Prentiss checked out this morning, is there anything else I can do for you, sir?" The gentlemen asked. Aaron took a very long time to answer...

"Um, no, thank you." He said, hanging up the phone. He felt his heart shattering into a million pieces, why had she left just like that, without saying a word to him without saying goodbye. Had she possibly regretted what had happened between them, was that night a mistake? It had meant nothing for her, it was probably just a one night stand, and now she had left because she had realized she had made a mistake. He closed his eyes sadly, as the images of the night they had shared came to his mind.

He reached for the pillow she had slept on and pulled it closer to him, as he relived the night before. Her sweet fragrance was still on the pillow, it smelled like her, like desire and love. A single tear rolled down his cheek, he'd lost her forever...well, he'd never had her, but he'd lost her forever now, and she never got to hear how he felt about her. He opened his eyes again and realized he had to leave, too...there was no point in staying there any longer, but as he was going to place the pillow back down he became aware of the bright objet that was on the bed, it probably had been beneath the pillow. It was a locket, the locket Emily had always worn around her neck, it must have fallen off her last night. He picked up the locket carefully and opened it...he had always wondered what was inside the locket. The picture on the right contained a photograph of an older brunette gentleman. Aaron assumed that had been her father, the picture on the left was of a young girl around five years old, he recognized the beautiful eyes and smile immediately, it was Emily when she was a child and she looked very happy. He smiled for a second running his thumb over her happy face, then another tear rolled down his cheek. He closed the locket and proceeded to get dressed. He truly needed to get out of there...while he was searching for his clothes scattered around the room, he found himself with one more item. A lacey black thong, one he had removed from her body the night before. He picked up the item bringing it to his nose for a second, her intoxicating fragrance filled his nostrils as the image of him making love to her came to his mind. He put the thong in his pocket, and then placed the locket in his shirt pocket. He slowly walked out of the room feeling emptier than he had ever felt in his entire life.

When he arrived at Quantico, he felt worse than ever; he didn't really want to be there, but he was duty bound to be there. He thought again about going to the airport to find her, but he knew again there was no point, he had driven there twice that morning, and he had ended up turning back halfway there. It was obvious to them that Emily wanted nothing to do with him, and that was why she had left the way she had left that morning... without saying goodbye. That night had obviously been a mistake for her, and she had run away from him. This was probably his own fault anyway, because he had treated her so horribly while she was there, and that was why she hated him so much. He had made her life impossible and had driven her away. He knew very well why Emily had taken the job in London...just to get away from him. He had pushed her away, and she had decided to leave because of him. Hotch knew Emily loved her friends and her job, the only reason she had decided to move was because of his stupidity, if he had gotten the balls to tell her how he truly felt about her, none of this would be happening, so this was all his fault, and he would just have to deal with it and suffer the consequences.

Around nine, while Aaron was walking around the bullpen distributing the files his team had submitted, JJ arrived and was on the phone, but he could hear some of the conversation she was having and realized he was talking to Emily...

"I don't know what we're going to do without you." The blonde said sadly to Emily.

"I know...it's just...I'll never get over it." Hotch kept trying to listen without being so obvious that he was eavesdropping.

"I love you, too, Em...call me when you get there, please, and be safe." The blonde said, as she hung up the phone.

"Hey, Hotch...good morning." JJ said, smiling.

"Hi, was that Emily?" He asked, unable to control himself.

"Yes, she's at the airport now...I can't believe she's gone." JJ said, looking sadly at Hotch.

Hotch nodded and excused himself...he went back into his office and grabbed his cell phone, dialing her number one more time that morning, but the phone again went through directly to voice mail. He felt a knot forming in his stomach and his heart aching; she was just talking to JJ, so her phone was obviously working fine, she simply didn't want to talk to him, he listened as the bit of her voice mail beeped in his ear...he stood there silently for a few minutes without knowing what to say. There was just so much he wanted to say, and yet he couldn't, he froze, how could he tell her the way he felt about her over the phone in her voice mail. He stood there for a few more minutes until the machine disconnected the call, and he had no choice but to put his phone away. Emily wanted nothing to do with him, which was obvious; it was the only reason she had not answered his calls but had answered JJ's calls. He put his phone away and realized that he needed to let her go once and for all and admit to himself that he would never see her again.

Emily was sitting on the plane, waiting for her flight to depart, and she had never in her life felt so confused and so empty. She willed the tears to stay at bay, because she had to be strong, and move forward with her decision to leave the country. What had happened the night before didn't have to change her life and her future plans. Yes, her boss had managed to take her to bed and use her one night for his pleasure, and he was probably laughing about her now. How could she have been so stupid as to fall into his game, to let him seduce her and take her to bed...and the worst part was that she had fallen for him. Okay, maybe it was just one night, and there was no way she should have fallen in love with him; now that wasn't true...she had fallen in love with him a long time before that, but she had never let those feelings out until the night last night and now? Well, now, she was heartbroken and humiliated. She knew she was strong enough and she would recover, but she wasn't sure if she would ever forget him. The plane finally began moving, and she closed her eyes trying to relax. She then brought her hand to her neck to play with her locket, because that was something she usually did when she was nervous, only she realized she was no longer wearing the locket. She frantically started searching for it on the floor of the plane where she was sitting and in her seat, but she couldn't find it; she unbuckle her belt and she was going to stand up from her seat when one of the stewardess caught her attention...

"Ma'am, can you sit down, please, we're about to take off." The lady said, making Emily sit back down. Emily nodded, as she felt fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. She had lost her locket, the only thing she had as a memory of her father. She couldn't control her tears, and she brought her hands to her face, finally sobbing softly...how could she have lost it. Her father had given her the locket many years ago, before he had died; it was the only thing she had that had always kept him close to her. She had worn the locket around her neck since her father had given it to her, and now she had lost it. She hated to cry especially letting other people see her cry, but right now she couldn't stop herself, not only had she been used and humiliated by her boss, but she had lost one of the most precious things she valued in life. She felt horrible, she truly wanted to disappear, this was all her fault, how could she be so stupid, she had made two of the worst mistakes in her life in less than twenty four hours, what else could go wrong with that day? She kept sobbing softly as the plane lifted into the air; she wasn't sure how long she cried, but at some point she fell asleep.

It was late that night when Aaron walked into the bar, it had been a very long day and all he wanted to do was have a drink and forget everything that had happened. He sat down at the edge of the bar and ordered a Jameson neat. He watched as the bartender poured his drink and placed the glass on a cocktail napkin. The bartender walked away and Hotch picked up the drink and started sipping...he had never felt so empty and so sad in his life. He never imagined he would be in this place...she had been gone for a few hours only but he missed her tremendously. That day had been devastating for everyone on the team, it was more than obvious how much the team was hurt with her absence. It had only been the first day, and he could already see that team wasn't going to be the same without her. He really wished he had gotten the balls to tell her how he felt about her, before so much damage had been done. He knew he would never recover, and he knew the team will never be the same cohesive team either. This truly was entirely his fault. He drank all the whiskey in his glass and asked for another one...the bartender poured him another drink and again walked away. He sat there drinking alone; he simply couldn't explain anymore how he felt, he reached into the pocket of his suit and pulled out the locket, it was the last reminder he had of her. He opened the locket again and looked at the two pictures as tears rolled down his cheeks. He then flipped the locket, and that was when he was aware of the engraving on the back of the locket:

" _Sempre nel mio cuore"_

It was in spirit font and he recognized the words as Italian, he didn't know much Italian but he knew exactly what the words meant. _Always in my heart_. He smiled and brought the locket to his lips, placing a soft kiss on it. This would be the only memory he would have of her, and he would keep it with him always.


	4. Chapter 4

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 4: Moving On

 **LONDON**

Emily was walking through the streets of London with Clyde. Today had been her first day at Interpol, and she wasn't sure how she really felt. She was in charge now...she had more responsibilities, but she had always wanted this, being in charge of a team had been one of her biggest dreams; yet, she was having a difficult time adjusting to the change, although she had been in London for a few days now, and she was working on settling down. Her furniture had arrived, and she was almost finished unpacking. She had acquired a really nice two floor flat...it was probably larger than she needed, but it was the only thing she had been able to get on such short notice. Clyde had been great by helping her unpack and arranging her new place; he had literally spent the last three days with her making sure everything was where it needed to be so she was all ready to go. He had also spent her first day at Interpol with her showing her around her new office, introducing her to colleagues and briefing her on what her new duties would be, and Emily felt very grateful to him. Clyde had been one of her best friends for most of her life, even before she moved to America and after. In fact, truth to tell, Clyde was her one and only true best friend...he knew her better than anyone in this world, and he had always been there for her when she needed him the most. Emily was really grateful to have him in her life, and he had really made her first days in London a lot easier. As they walked through the streets of London trying to pick a place to eat, Clyde kept looking at her, really analyzing her...he knew all of her expressions, and he knew something, or someone, was on her mind.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on with you?" Clyde asked, as he held her hand to cross the street.

"With me? Um...nothing. I'm just hungry." Emily said, as she avoided his gaze.

"Come on, Em, I know you better than you know yourself, spit it out." Clyde had known there was something going on with her since she had arrived...she had been acting strangely, something had happened in America, but he wasn't having any luck getting it out of her.

"I really don't know what you're talking about." Emily stated, smiling while looking at her new phone. It was only just past four in the afternoon, and she felt exhausted, the change of hours and weather was definitely messing with her system.

"What's his name?" Clyde asked, gathering his courage and staring at her quizzically.

That took Emily by surprise, and she almost dropped her phone on the floor.

"What's whose name?" Emily asked, pretending to look surprised.

"Whomever has you in this quandary?" Clyde smiled warmly, as he opened the door to the restaurant where they had finally decided to have dinner.

The hostess arrived and led them to a table, and Emily took this opportunity to avoid his question and pretend she had not heard it as they sat down at the table, and Emily took the menu ignoring her best friend's gaze, which was ridiculous because she knew he would not leave the subject alone. Clyde just kept staring at Emily, something had definitely happened, he could sense it, and he just wished she would open up and trust him, but he also knew that she would tell him whenever she was ready.

"Do you want an appetizer? Emily asked, smiling at her best friend. Clyde just smiled widely, playing her game right along with her...she really looked cute when she was trying to avoid a situation. After they ordered an appetizer, their dinner and some wine, they began talking about Interpol and how the team worked so Emily was more aware of what she had to deal with at the beginning of her settling in.

"So, are you going to tell me what has been on your mind since you arrived in merry ole England...I thought you trusted me." Clyde stated, teasing her knowing that would get her attention.

"I do trust you with my entire life." Emily said, looking at him very intensely...she knew she couldn't avoid him much longer.

"I'm fine, Clyde...I'm just...this change is pretty big...I'm trying to adapt...its not easy, but I'll get there." She was trying to sound as convincing as she possibly could.

"And that's all?" Clyde asked, not believing a word she was saying.

"Yes, that and I'm pretty upset about losing my locket, you know what that locket meant to me." Emily said honestly, that loss did hurt her deeply.

"I know, and I wish we could do something to find it." Clyde offered sadly.

She just nodded sadly, fighting back her tears. She felt so guilty about the locket because it was the only memory she had of her father and now it was gone.

They kept talking while they had lunch; Emily did feel very sad, but it helped to have Clyde by her side, and she knew she had to be strong and move on with her life. Emily finally relaxed, and she was enjoying her food with her best friend when a very handsome gentleman approached her.

"This is not possible...Emily...Emily Prentiss?" The gentleman said with a big smile.

"Oh my God, Max!" Emily said, in astonishment, almost choking on her food. She immediately stood up from the table as the older gentleman pulled her in for a hug and kissed her check. Then he turned his attention to Clyde Easter.

"Clyde, nice to see you again." He said, shaking Clyde's hand.

"Always a pleasure." Clyde replied, smiling at the gentleman.

"What a pleasant surprise, are you here visiting?" Max questioned Emily with a huge grin on his face. Then he turned his attention back to Clyde Easter.

"Actually, I just moved back." Emily replied, laughing delightfully.

"You did? Wow, that is great news...and you look absolutely stunning as always!" He said, admiring the beautiful brunette.

"Do you think you would allow me to take you to coffee sometime?" Max asked, a little shyly.

"Absolutely." Emily said, laughing nervously and scribbling her number on a piece of paper.

"Okay, then, I'll call you, it's really great to see you again, Emily." Max said, pulling her to him for another hug and kissing her on the cheek.

"It's good to see you too, Max." Emily said, still in shock. She couldn't believe that she had run into Max on her first few days in London. Max said goodbye to her and Clyde, then left, leaving the brunette stunned. Emily sat back down smiling shyly, but Clyde noticed how flushed her cheeks were and laughed at her teasingly.

"I think that is destiny, do you think this means something?" He pointed Max's unexpected meeting out, making her blush even more.

"Oh, come on, Clyde, we just ran into each other, things like that happens all the time." Emily said, but she still smiled like this was something special for her.

"Not like this, it doesn't." Clyde pointed out.

"Like what?" Emily questioned, a little uncomfortable at the look her friend was giving her.

"Emily, you were engaged to him, if I remember correctly, you were madly in love with him." Max had been Emily's very serious boyfriend and fiancé before she moved to America. They had been together for several years and they were very close to getting married. But then Emily got the job offer from the BAU, the whole deal with Ian Doyle happened, then they ended up splitting up. But, it wasn't because they didn't love each other, things had just gotten in their way, but from what Clyde knew, they had been very much in love with each other and had even talked about kids and a future together, and they had been engaged.

"Yes, I was, but that doesn't mean anything in the present time." Emily said, trying to look normal.

"Your face changed completely, your eyes lit up when you saw Max again." Clyde said, looking at the spark still in her eyes.

Emily blushed even more.

"What...NO? Okay, now you are just seeing things!" She exclaimed, looking down and avoiding his gaze.

"You are totally affected...it could work again, you know...you and him." Clyde said, smirking at how uncomfortable she was.

"No, it couldn't, too much has happened." Emily stated firmly, then her facial expressions changed the minute she remembered the night she had spent with her boss.

"Like what?" Emily, however, didn't respond and pretended like she hadn't heard him.

"So, there is a 'him', I knew it!" Clyde knew her very well; he knew what that look meant.

Emily just rolled her eyes annoyed at the fact that Clyde knew her so well and could read her better than anyone she knew.

"What's Prince Charming's name?" He queried, teasing her.

"Does it matter?" She asked, a little more rudely than she intended, surprising Clyde, but she couldn't help it...thinking about Hotch really hurt. Clyde watched her for a second; she was hurting, and he knew it, he finally understood what was wrong with her.

"He broke your heart, didn't he?" Clyde asked angrily, ready to kill whomever it was that had her in this mood.

"No." Emily answered, irritated.

"What happened then?" Clyde questioned, tenderly taking her hand.

"Nothing, I don't want to talk about this anymore, please." She replied, pleading with him to stop questioning her. Clyde didn't respond, he just kept staring at her intensely.

"It's nothing, really, he meant nothing, and I just want to move on, okay?" She stated, smiling sadly at him.

Clyde knew that he there was no point to push the subject more, she wasn't going to tell him anything; whatever had happened had obviously hurt her deeply and as much as he wished he could kill the asshole that had hurt her so badly, he also knew she was a very private person and if she didn't want to talk about something it was for a reason even with him, her best friend.

 **Washington D.C**

The team was gathering in the conference room...they had just returned from a very long case, and it looked like they were heading into another hard one. Everyone was truly exhausted since this last case had been very difficult, not only because it was a case relating to children and those were usually the most difficult ones, but also because Emily was no longer a part of the team, which meant it had been more difficult for the team to catch the unsub without her incredible abilities. Emily was one of the best profilers they had, and everyone missed her dearly, but the rhythm of the team was also out of sync and they were having trouble concentrating without her presence. They had been used to a certain routine and that routine included Emily, so adapting to the change and her not being around any longer was hard on everyone.

On the top of everything else, Hotch was more stressed and irritated than before; in fact, he had been in the worst mood they had ever seen him in since Emily left. Rossi believed it was the result of several unfortunate events; the fact that his divorce was finalized, he and Haley had been separated for a very long time now and they no longer lived together, but their divorce had been a very painful process. But, the judge had finally authorized the divorce...the bad news was that Haley got to keep Jack the majority of the time; in fact, the judge had only authorized Hotch to have his child a few times a month. Which was, of course, very painful for Hotch, and he truly wished he could have Jack more often, but the reality was that with the kind of job he had, committing to more days was impossible and a promise he wouldn't be able to keep. Another of the reasons why Hotch was in such a bad mood was the Bureau had been on his ass ever since Emily had left. They had tried to keep her on the team since she was one of the best assets they had, and they had even offered her a higher salary, but she had left anyway. Strauss especially blamed Hotch for her resignation, then again Strauss blamed Hotch for everything that happened around the BAU. On top of all of this, Strauss was pressuring him to find a replacement for Emily; of course, they would never find anyone who could replace her, but they did have to find someone who could join the team since it was incomplete now. The problem was it was going to be very, very difficult to find someone that met Hotch's specifications and would also be a great fit for the team, along with the line of duty they had, profiling was simply for just anyone...finding a new asset for the team was always a great challenge for the BAU and especially for the Unit Chief. So, as the team started gathering in the conference room to brief about their new case, Morgan sat down to JJ and Garcia, trying to break the ice and engage in some pleasant conversation before they had to stare at the horrible images the case was about to present.

"Has anyone talked to Emily?" Morgan asked the girls, knowing they were very close to Emily and they would have an update as to what was going on with their friend. Hotch, who was at the same table, raised his eyes from the files he was reading at the mention of the brunette's name.

"I spoke to her last night, she's all settled in and started her job yesterday, she seems happy." JJ said, smiling sadly.

"I still can't believe she left, things will never be the same." Garcia sadly said.

"I know, I miss her so much already, and she's only been gone a few days." Morgan said with sadness in his eyes.

"Do you know who's going to replace her, Hotch?" Morgan asked, getting the Unit Chief's attention.

"We haven't made a decision yet." Hotch said dismissively.

"They'll never find someone like her." Reid spoke quietly, it still hurt him so much to think about her.

"That's true, our sweet girl was unique." Garcia retorted.

"Hey, did I tell you she ran into Max yesterday?" JJ asked, looking at Garcia with a huge grin.

"No way, really? What happened, did she say anything else? Oh my God, this is so good." Garcia squealed, trying to push for more gossip.

"Not really, she just said they ran into each other, and that's all." JJ said, looking at the technical analyst.

"Who's Max?" Reid asked curiously.

"Oh my God, Reid, Max was the one and only man that almost took our brunette beauty to the altar." Garcia said, offended that Reid was asking such a stupid question. That got the Unit Chief's attention, and he felt a knot in his stomach, although he didn't know why he had gotten so uncomfortable.

"Wait, do you think they will get back together? Emily did love him very much, didn't she?" JJ asked the technical analyst curiously.

"Maybe, who knows, maybe that's why she left." Garcia pointed out, but before anyone could say anything else, Hotch snapped, surprising himself and everyone else around him.

"Can we please stop talking about her, she's no longer a part of this team!" He firmly said, raising his voice and slamming the files down on the table.

"There are things that are more important that we should be discussing than the gossip that goes around about the life of someone who's no longer relevant to this team." Hotch retorted angrily; the entire team looked at him in shock, and no one knew what to say. He had been in the worst possible mood for the last couple of days, but he had never lost his cool and snapped at anyone on his team this way. He stood up, turned the screen on, and started discussing the case while the team exchanged looks...what the hell was wrong with him, and why had he gotten so upset. Rossi just kept staring at him...he knew he was stressed, but he had definitely gone too far. He also knew he disliked Emily and had never accepted her as a part of the team, but he didn't really think he hated her so much that he couldn't even tolerate it when her name was brought up?

 **London**

A week later, Emily had finally accepted Max's proposition to have coffee, which had actually turned out to be a date. He had picked her up at her flat early that afternoon and they had gotten coffee at one of Emily's favorite coffee shops, and they had spent hours talking. They had so much to catch up on, and it truly felt like an eternity since they had last seen each other. The truth was Max Brickman had been a very important part of her life, they had been dating for several years and had lived together, as well as being engaged. Emily's job and her own insecurities got in the way, and they had ended up separating, but Emily did miss him for a very long time when she first moved to the States. Max had always been amazing to her, treating her like a queen, and she had never felt so loved and respected by anyone, and they were truly happy. That was one of the reasons why she accepted his offer for coffee…she wanted to catch up with him because he had been someone really important in her life.

The coffee date, however, turned into dinner, and before Emily knew it, they had spent almost all day together. She had a great time and had also had an opportunity to explain why she had ended things with him: the entire fiasco with Doyle being after her and the fact that Doyle might have gotten after him if they were together, and that was true, Max and Emily had started dating after Doyle, and she had never truly been completely honest with Max about how she had apprehended him; yes, it was her job, now a part of her always felt dirty and unworthy of love and respect. When she met Max, however, she felt happy and truly loved…she never told him about Doyle because she didn't want him to see her as a prostitute that slept with a terrorist to make a case. She hide that part of her life deep inside her and never shared that with anyone, so when Max asked her to marry him things truly changed; she felt that at some point she needed to be honest with him. At the same time, she began receiving anonymous letters from Ian Doyle. She knew he was in prison, so he couldn't harm her, but she was afraid he would tear her fairy tale apart and tell Max everything. So, she ended things with Max and moved to America hoping she could recover away from all her past and start a new life away from her own mistakes and away from Doyle. A year later, Ian Doyle got transferred to a maximum security prison in Russia, and she knew he would never get out, but by then she had already settled in at the BAU and Virginia, and there was no point to look back to that direction of her life. But, now she could be honest with Max and tell him the truth, tell him why she had run away ending things with him, and that she should have known better than to run away. She knew that Max would never have judged her and changed his feelings for her, so that day over coffee with Max, after she told him her truths, he told her he still found her the most amazing and wonderful woman in the world regardless of what she had done to put Doyle behind bars, and regardless of how she had ended things with him.

They spent the entire day talking, laughing and reconnecting; she had a great time, and for the first time since she had arrived in London, she was able to get Aaron Hotchner out of her head. She felt secure again and happy…the same feelings she had felt all those years ago when she was happy and in a great relationship with Max. She knew that even if she kept thinking about Aaron Hotchner, she would never have been good enough in his eyes, he had never accepted her as part of the team, he had always criticized her job abilities and her actions both in and outside the field, and he had always made her feel less, unappreciated, and she would never be good enough for him. She knew he would never see her as anything other than a subpar agent and person, so, even if she had fallen in love with him, it would have never worked. With Max, however, things were different…he had always made her feel like the most important person in the world. He always complimented her and made her feel loved and special. Max would be willing to give his life to make her happy and to make sure she always had the best of everything in the world he could provide.

As he took her back to her flat, he was holding her hand while they walked through the streets of London; it was dark outside but the breeze felt good. It was a beautiful night outside, and they both had had an amazing time together.

"Thank you so much for spending the day with me." Max said, smiling at her warmly.

"No, thank you, Max, for everything, the company, the talk, for understanding, everything." Emily told him, looking into his eyes.

"It was my pleasure." Max replied.

They walked a couple more blocks and finally they stopped in front of her flat.

"Do you believe in fate? The fact that things are destined to be something?" Max asked, taking her hands in his.

"Like what?" Emily asked innocently.

"Us...the fact that destiny put us in the same place again." Max stated, with a spark in his eyes.

"I don't know." Emily said honestly.

"I have never stopped loving you, Emily." He said, looking at her deeply into her eyes, and before Emily could respond, he gently pulled her to him, kissing her lips sweetly; Emily got caught off guard at first, but then she let him really kiss her.

Maybe Max was right and things happened for a reason, maybe her destiny was to be with him, and to forget about Aaron Hotchner once and for all…maybe it was time to forget that he ever existed and especially that night they shared. Very slowly, she wrapped her arms around Max's neck and began responding to the kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 5: Flu, Chicken Soup and Something Else

 **London**

Time always promised to heal things and make them better, and in Emily's case it was working just that way. It took time to heal, it took time to move on and to settle down completely, but before she had realized it time had flown by, and now it had been almost two months since she came to London. Things were different now and she was happy; she had finally found herself in a comfortable enough place, she missed her family and friends dearly, but overall she was fine. She talked to them almost every night, and it was hurting less each passing day. Interpol was just as delightful as it had promised to be that was true, it was more stressful than her previous job with more challenges, but Emily loved challenges, and being able to push herself meant she was capable of doing everything she wanted. So, this was exactly what she was doing, so far, it was working great, she liked her job with the ups and downs, her team worked really well with her, and the minor issues she had to deal with once in a while she had been able to resolve quickly. After working for many decades in the criminal justice system, she was used to the horrifying images she saw every day, not that she enjoyed them either but she had learned to cope with them and not let them affect her personal life. Her job wasn't a problem, she still keep in contact with her family in Virginia, and her and Clyde were still the great friends they always had been, which was awesome because she had him by her side constantly now, and honest to God, that was such a blessing for her since Clyde was her best friend.

And now, she had Max. They had gotten back together almost after that first date they had, and that made her very happy. It wasn't as hard or as odd as she thought it would be, in fact, it had been amazing; it was like they had never broken up, and their relationship had never been affected, in fact, it probably was better than before. Max was the sweet and charming guy she'd always known. He took care of her all the time; he was sweet and tender, but passionate and aggressive when he needed to be. They didn't live together technically, but he was always at her apartment, or her at his. Sometimes, she felt like they had moved too fast into the entire relationship again, but if she really thought about it, they had dated for almost three years before they broke up the first time, and they had lived together then, and if anyone knew her that intimately, it was Max.

She was still working on her present feelings toward him, but she was sure that at some point she would get to that place again, that place where she had been, where she was madly in love with him. Not that she didn't love him, of course not, well hold it there, love was a very intense word...at least for her it was...she had always had trouble saying it and she probably always would, but she wasn't the type of woman that dropped the I love you bomb on the first date or the first couple of times they were together, in fact, she had never spoken those words to anyone before, anyone that wasn't family or friends anyway. Now, did she care about Max, of course she did, she wouldn't be with him in the first place if she didn't, and yes, she had loved him before and even said it to him many times, but now it was different, too much had happened, time had passed by, they had been separated by many years and many miles, a lot had happened for both of them and things were odd still. She cared for him yes; he was amazing to her, the most amazing man she had probably met, but to get to that place again, that place where she would give her heart and soul again completely, it would take time. Yes, she definitely wanted to be with Max, but there was a lot to work on, but they had only been together for a couple of months and there was no rush to jump into the whole scary thing, not yet anyway. For now she was going to enjoy the relationship, reconnect; get to know each other again and everything else. _After all, she still had those moments where she flashed back to that night, the night she had shared with the man she still couldn't mention his name because it hurt to much...yes, she was acting like a stupid teenager with a stupid teenage crush, but it still hurt. She still hated herself sometimes for being so stupid as to fall in love with her boss, at her age, I mean...who really did that?_

 _What grown up and mature woman with many years of experience fell in love with her boss just because they slept together one night? The simple fact to even mention it sounded silly and something coming from a soap opera. Really Emily, how old are you...fourteen? Okay, worked together and hated each other to death, you got drunk, you slept together, end of story, and after you woke up, you should go back to hating each other, life moves on and so should you. She was pretty sure he had, and by now everyone in the BAU, let alone the state of Virginia must know how your boss managed to take you to bed because you were too drunk and too stupid to even think maturely. Now, you have an amazing boyfriend that still cares a lot about you and will do anything for you, you're thousands of miles away from this one night stand, and you have a new life...grow up, stop dreaming, and move on with your life._

And it was true though, Max was, indeed, a great guy; he treated her like a queen, even when she felt like she didn't deserve it. Like last night, she had worked until very late, and had ended up canceling her dinner date with him for the second time that week because her job kept her to damn busy to give her sweet boyfriend the time he truly deserved. On top of that, she was exhausted and mentally and physically drained. Perhaps, it was the change she was trying to adjust to, or the stress of her job, or even the new climate of London, but she had been feeling groggy and had no energy for the last couple of weeks; of course, Emily being Emily thought she was made of steel and she pushed her immune system to the max, and now she was trying to fight this bug, or whatever it was. It had started a few days ago, the headache, the tiredness, the weird nausea, and even the occasional vomiting. She also had allergies, but she sometimes did, especially when she changed from one city to another, so she thought that was normal, but she tried to fight the cold, or the flu, or whatever it was that had her feeling like a train had hit her, and on the top of that, her migraine had not stopped for the last few days...in fact, it had just gotten worse. So, she canceled on Max, again, partly because she really had to stay late at work and partly because she just wanted to go home and hide under her bed for the next two days since it was the weekend; and also because Clyde had realized how sick she was and that had refused to take care of herself, so he had technically threatened to suspend her if she didn't take a few days off. Emily finished her work that night and rushed home, but by the time she had made it to her car, her illness had just gotten worse, and now she was sure she even had a fever. She was trembling and was sure she was burning up, so she drove home aimlessly ready to hit her bed the minute she got home, if she was lucky enough to make it to her bed.

To her surprise, her amazing boyfriend was waiting at home for her. He, too, had sensed she had been sick, and as stubborn as he knew she was, he knew she was probably not taking care of herself, so having a key to her flat, he let himself in and cleaned around the little mess his gorgeous girlfriend had left, which was highly unusual for her since she was the most neat and organized person he had ever met, then he made dinner for her, homemade chicken noodle soup because she had mentioned coming down with some sort of a cold, then he sat down and waited for her. When she finally arrived, it was past nine, and he was seriously worried about her, he heard the key turn in the lock and then the door opening softly. A very pale Emily walked in, even paler than usual, however, he could see the crimson on her checks which indicated she was flustered, or probably running a high fever.

"Hey sweetie." He greeted when she walked in, and by the look of her face, he got even more worried about her.

"Hey...I...I didn't know you were going to stop by." Her voice was raspy, and she looked like she was about to pass out.

"Are you okay, darling?" Max asked, walking closer to her, taking her bag and setting it on the sofa, then pulling her into his arms.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired." Emily responded absently. Max pulled her closer to him and pressed a kiss on her forehead...that was when he realized Emily was indeed burning up with a fever.

"Bloody hell! You're burning up, darling." He said, placing the back of his hand on her forehead. Emily just looked at him with glassy eyes and blurry vision.

"I think I'm coming down with something...I don't feel so well." She admitted, feeling her body almost giving up on her. Max immediately picked her up in his arms and took her upstairs to her bedroom, placing her softly on the bed.

"Do you want me to take you to the hospital, darling?" He asked, concerned. Emily shook her head vigorously, which had not been a smart move...now she felt really dizzy.

"I want to sleep, and I'm so cold." She whispered.

"Okay, darling, do you want me to bring you some dinner? I made you some chicken noodle soup, you like that soup, don't you?" Max said, as he took off her shoes and placed the duvet over her shivering body. Emily just shook her head, she was feeling really horrible, what the hell was wrong with her!

"Em, you need to eat something, hon." Max pushed, very worried as he once again pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. Emily pouted and shook her head again; he was getting really worried about her, and knowing her, she had probably not eaten anything all day.

"Em dear, please." He begged worriedly.

"I'm...I'm okay...Max, I just want to sleep. God, I'm freezing." She said, pulling the covers closer to her body.

"You have a high fever, we need to get you into confortable clothes and give you some medicine, okay?" Max said, running his thumb over her warm cheeks. Emily nodded, closing her eyes again. Max rushed to the bathroom to get some medicine...he sat it next to the night stand, then reached into her chest and pulled out a pair of comfortable pajamas, carefully pulling off the covers watching her body as she trembled when the warm confortable duvet was removed from her body. Max helped her change into the pajamas and then help her drink some of the medicine. He knew that he was not going to be able to get her to eat, but at least he wanted to give her some medication so her fever would go down.

After Emily drank some of the medication and was changed into comfortable clothes, he sat down next to her as he put a wet towel on her forehead. Emily knew she was truly blessed to have him in her life, he was really loving and caring for her. He watched her as she was trying to relax, with her skin flushed from fever, knowing if he was not able to get the fever down, he might have to rush her to the hospital. As she was reading his mind, she opened her eyes slightly, looking at him...her vision was still glassy and blurry, but she managed to pull her hand from under the covers and hold his hand tenderly.

"I'm okay, honey, don't worry...I just need some sleep." She reassured him.

"Okay, do you want me to get anything else for you?" Max asked her, leaning forward and pressing a kiss on her forehead.

"No love, thank you, just lay with me, please." Max smiled and changed out of his clothes joining the brunette on the bed, pulling her warm body to him hoping she would feel better in a couple of hours. Emily turned on her side with his help and cuddled close to him; she just needed a few solid hours of sleep and then she felt she would feel perfectly fine.

Emily woke up several times during the night because she kept twisting and turning in her sleep, and she had woken up to go to the bathroom and because she was way too cold. Max had her take another dose of medication and took care of her literally all night. He was very worried about her since she still had a fever, but thankfully, it wasn't as high anymore. Around four in the morning, Emily finally fell deeply asleep after the medicine had knocked her out. Max was hoping she would get enough sleep to feel better in the morning, and since he had to go work, he called the only person he knew would be willing to drop everything to be next to her and watch her like he would. So, when she finally woke up around nine that morning after at least five hours of solid sleep, she felt better, her body was still sore and the nausea had not gone away, but it seemed like the fever was almost gone. She opened her eyes slowly and tried to focus on the room around her, that was when she became aware of the blonde man with blue eye siting in the comfortable chair next to her bed. Emily blinked a couple of times before a shy smile appeared on her still pale face.

"Morning, sunshine." He said, with a happy voice.

"Clyde, what are you doing here?" She queried, slowly sitting up in bed.

"Well, nice to see you, too." He teased, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's not want I meant, I just...where is Max?" Her mind was still foggy.

"He had to go work, and he didn't want you to stay by yourself." Clyde said smiling warmly at the brunette. Emily rolled her eyes sleepily.

"I don't need a babysitter, Clyde, I can take care of myself." Emily said, annoyed...she had woken up somewhat grumpy.

"Clearly." Clyde bit back sarcastically.

"I'm fine, it's just a cold, or a stupid bug, I just really need a shower." She stated as she tried to get out of bed, feeling somewhat weak, but she knew she had been sweating all night and felt truly gross.

"Why don't you take a shower while I warm you something to eat?" Clyde said, helping her out of bed.

"Unless, you need help with the shower." He winked at her playfully.

"Sure, if you want Max to kick your ass." She stated, sticking out her tongue at him. Clyde just laughed as he watched Emily going to the bathroom and closing the door.

A while later, he came in to the room with a tray filled with a steaming cup of coffee, water and a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup...the one that Max had made for her the night before. Emily had already changed into fresh clothes, and she was lying on top of the comforter since she had also made the bed. She was still very weak so she had decided she would take it easy that day.

Clyde walked into the room and placed the tray next to her on the nightstand.

"I brought you some coffee and some soup." He said gently, sitting next to her on the edge of the bed.

"I'm not hungry." She said, scrunching up her nose, the smell of coffee was making her sick again.

"I know, but you need something on your stomach, try to eat a little bit, please." He begged.

"Fine, but I don't want the coffee...the smell of it is making me sick." She stated firmly with a disgusted face. Wait what? Emily Prentiss did not want coffee...that was a new one!

"Okay, I'll take the coffee away, but try to eat the soup, darling, I do need my team leader to live a little longer." He offered, as he picked up the cup of coffee taking it downstairs. Emily wasn't really hungry, but she knew Clyde would not leave her alone until she had eaten it, so she attempted to eat a few bites. Clyde returned to the room and sat in the chair again as he watched her trying to eat with trembling hands. She had not even eaten five full spoons of the chicken noodle soup, when Emily was jumping of the bed and rushing to the bathroom, emptying the contents of her stomach completely. After that, she washed her face in the sink leaning on the sink feeling more weak than before. Clyde was leaning on the doorframe of the bathroom watching his best friend with very worried eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he walked into the bathroom, taking a towel, wetting it in the sink, and placing it on her forehead.

"I'm...it's just...this stupid bug, or whatever it is...everything makes me sick...even the smell of water." Emily said, wiping away the tears that had formed in her eyes. That was when Clyde's mouth dropped open. Wait what!? Water smell? Coffee repulsion? Morning sickness? Oh boy.

"Oh dear! He stated, staring at the pale brunette.

"What!?" Emily asked, confused at Clyde's shocked face.

"I'm not sure this is a bug, darling." Clyde offered, smiling slightly.

"What are you talking about!?" Emily asked, even more confused than ever...her head was killing her, and she could barely concentrate.

"I think I might have to be prepared to buy a crib." _Wait, what!? Was he high? What in the world was he talking about? Wait, did he say CRIB!? Then it hit her...What? OMG, WHAT?!_

"What,...no...no, what are you talking about ..NO, I am not pregnant!...I'm not, I can't be! There is no way." She said, shaking her head feeling her mind bug out completely.

"Why not, oh please don't tell me you and Max haven't, you haven't sealed the deal?" Clyde asked, teasing her.

"What! Who the hell says 'seal the deal' anymore? And I'm not even going to answer that...you are insane!" She said, turning bright red and walking out of the bathroom, Clyde following after her.

"Emily." He called her softly.

"No, I'm not pregnant, Clyde." She spat back, very annoyed.

"Because I'm not, I just can't be." _Okay, that was her logic, she wasn't pregnant, she couldn't be, right? This was insane...she couldn't be pregnant, there was no way. All of a sudden, she started feeling even more dizzy and nauseous._

"Okay, then take a test." Clyde said simply.

"No!" God she was stubborn.

"Why not?" Clyde asked, smiling at her confused and frustrated face.

"Because I'm not pregnant...period!" She retorted angrily.

Clyde watched her as she tried to pick up her clothes from the night before. She was trying to avoid his gaze and the subject at hand.

"Fine, you aren't pregnant, take a test if you aren't, then you aren't, but if you are, then I'll be blessed to have a mini Emily in my arms." He offered, walking toward her and taking her hands softly.

"Why does this scare you so much?" He asked gently.

"It doesn't, but I am telling you I'm not pregnant." She repeated again, but more than trying to convince Clyde, she was trying to convince herself.

"I'm going to run to the store to get a pregnancy test and some sparkling water for you." He said, leaving no room for discussion and placing a kiss on her forehead, leaving a very confused Emily staring at him in shock.

About a half hour later, he returned to her apartment, where Emily was working on her laptop trying to avoid the subject and acting like the whole conversation they had had before he left to the store had never happened. It took a while for him to talk Emily out of her stubbornness and convince her to take the pregnancy test. After long minutes of pleading with her, Clyde finally was able to convince her to take the test. Emily went into the bathroom to take the test which she knew was completely worthless because she knew for certain she wasn't pregnant, there was just no way. She walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later holding the white stick in her hands and shaking her head annoyed and frustrated.

"You'll see, this is going to prove you're wrong, and when it does, I swear I'm going to kill you." She snapped at him as she held the stick in her hand waiting for the results.

 _She wasn't pregnant, she knew it, there was just no way, yes, she had been very intimate with Max a lot in the last couple of weeks but she wasn't pregnant she couldn't be, it was impossible. She was broken, well that sounded wrong, but it was the truth, it was maybe her fault, but she was sure that she was sterile. Well, everything had started back in France when she had her first abortion at the age of fifteen...it had been an unwanted pregnancy, and she had been too young to deal with it, and she knew her parents would have killed her, so she had gotten an abortion, and it was a decision she would regret her entire life, but it had affected her ability to have children and fucked with her body. Many, many years later, when she was with one of her serious boyfriends, she had wanted to have a kid, and they had tried, but she had been unable to get pregnant, so her boyfriend had ended up leaving her because she couldn't conceive. When she was with Max again, she wanted kids more than anything in her life, and they tried endless times and she never got pregnant, so when she and Max got tested, the doctor had told her that maybe because of her abortion, she would have a difficult time getting pregnant, and although she and Max had discussed adoption, it truly had been devastating to know she would not be able to conceive her own children. She was devastated, but at some point she got used to the idea that she couldn't conceive and had tried to move on. This was a part of her life she had never shared with Clyde; he knew about the abortion in France, but he didn't know about her inability to have children, and that had also been another of the reasons she had left Max...because she couldn't give him children, and she knew he wanted them more than anything in the world. Anyway, long story short, the point was, she couldn't get pregnant, so there was no point to even take the stupid test in the first place!_

A few minutes later, she picked up the stick that she had placed on the table, ready to prove to Clyde that he was wrong and smiled at the fact that she had won the bet they had made.(They had bet a thousand euros that she wasn't pregnant, that was how he had been able to convince her to take the pregnancy test in the first place.)

Emily's was stunned and her mouth dropped open as she watched the two pink lines on the stick flashing back at her!

"Oh my God!" She gasped in shock!


	6. Chapter 6

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 6: Mothered

A few minutes later, Emily picked up the stick she had placed on the table, ready to prove to Clyde that he was wrong and smiled at the fact she had won the bet they had made.(They had bet a thousand euros that she wasn't pregnant...that was how he had been able to convince her to take the pregnancy test in the first place.)

Emily's was stunned, and her mouth dropped open as she watched the two pink lines on the stick flashing back at her! "Oh my God!" She gasped in shock!

"Congratulations, darling...or, should I say 'mommy'?" Clyde teased.

Emily, however, was still stunned and couldn't utter a word. She simply couldn't believe she was pregnant. This was not possible, well, it was possible because she was pregnant, but how had it happened? She had so much trouble in her past conceiving when she had wanted a baby so badly, and now when she least expected it, she was pregnant...she simply couldn't believe it!

"How did this happen?" Her voice barely audible from the shock.

"Um...you know when a man and a woman...do the horizontal mambo...a man usually puts his..." Clyde could barely stop himself from laughing at her.

"Cut the shit, Clyde...that is not what I meant and you know it" Emily snarled.

"And the pregnancy hormones are already kicking in." He bit back.

"I can't be pregnant." Emily said quietly.

"Well, it's a little late for that, darling." He said, sitting down next to her.

She just shook her head, still trembling.

"Em...talk to me...what's the matter?" Clyde asked, concerned at the brunette's reaction.

He squeezed her hand gently making her look at him.

"I thought this was what you always wanted...a baby." He said, looking at her intensely.

"It was...it is...I...just...I wasn't expecting this right now..." She said, looking down, trying to hold back the tears.

"Why not, Em? You and Max are perfect for each other, you always were...you were almost married...a baby is just going to make your fairy tale finally come true." Clyde offered, smiling at her.

Emily nodded in agreement, smiling at him, but not yet making it all the way to her eyes.

It was true she had wanted a baby for many, many years...it was one of her biggest dreams, to be a mother and to have a family of her own. She had wanted that with Max more than anything in her life a few years ago, but right now, she wasn't sure if she wanted this anymore. Max was still a great guy, the perfect man that had made her fall in love with him all those years ago, but she just wasn't sure anymore. She still wanted the baby more than anything in life, in fact, a part of her was ecstatic, but there was another part of her that was scared and worried...worried about the "what if''s"?

"Max is going to be so happy when he finds out he's going to be a daddy." Clyde said, pulling Emily in for a hug.

She couldn't stop her heart from beating very fast. _Max's baby._ It had to be Max, it simply had to be. She had been with him for the last two months, and they had been actively intimate, and they never used protection, since she knew she would never get pregnant, and she trusted Max enough to know he was clean. Maybe that had been somewhat irresponsible, but she knew him well enough to know he would never put her at risk for anything. Max was the father, it only made sense that way; there was only a small possibility to the _what if_ , but she truly didn't want to think about that, and she knew the possibilities of that option were even lower. Why torture herself with something less possible, maybe it was selfish and maybe it was wrong, but right now for her own sanity and well-being, she needed to think this way. She and Max were going to have a baby...a real baby.

"Yes, he will." She finally smiled widely...a real smile.

"Oh my, Clyde, I'm having a baby." And, Emily couldn't stop the tears that rolled down her face.

"A little Emily." Clyde said, still holding her close to him.

"Or a boy." She said, still unable to process the news.

"Congratulations, Love." Clyde said, pressing a kiss to Emily's forehead.

"Thank you, Clyde, thank you for always being there for me." She said, hugging her friend again.

It was truly great to have Clyde by her side during the most important moments of her life. She was having a baby...something she had always dreamed of...she could worry about everything else later. Right now, she wanted to enjoy her little moment.

 **Washington D.C.**

Aaron Hotchner walked into his apartment a little after ten o'clock. He and the team had just returned from a very long case in Alabama...one of the longest cases they had ever worked, where seven women had been murdered. They had been targeted outside of where they worked, and the unsub had kept them kidnapped for almost a week. After a week, he killed them and placed their bodies near the river. While he had them, he sexually assaulted them, physically abused them, leaving them with several lacerations and when he was finished with them, he marked their bodies in their own blood with a symbol of the meaning of his name. The team had been in Alabama for almost two weeks because the unsub didn't leave any other leads or any other traces. He didn't have a partner, or an MO...he simply kidnapped these women outside their workplace at different hours and different places. Their bodies were also placed at different locations on the river on different days. Nothing was consistent and had no pattern, so it took them a lot longer than they had expected to solve the case. But, after two very long weeks, they finally caught the perpetrator putting him behind bars, and although a lot of lives had been lost, they had finally gotten him, and he would never get out of prison, if he didn't get the death penalty.

So, when Hotch walked into his apartment, he had no energy for anything, he just wanted to have a few drinks and forget that the entire world even existed. He placed his go bag by his desk and loosened his tie, walking to the mini bar and pouring himself a glass of scotch hoping he could wash the two weeks away. He wasn't sure why this case had affected him so much, he had done this for a long time, and he had seen it all, so what was it about this case that got to him. Sure, it had taken a lot more time than they had expected, and he was absolutely sure Strauss was going to have his ass, but that wasn't anything new, so, why was he upset. He took off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair then he poured more scotch into his glass and sat down on the couch rubbing his eyes tiredly. It felt like an eternity since he had last closed his eyes and got some sleep; he had been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately, and he wasn't even sure why. He finished his drink and stood up walking to the mini bar to pour another drink. He didn't have to drive anywhere, and he was off for the next couple of days, so he would surely relax with his latest best friend Johnny Walker Black Label. He poured another drink and walked into his room...if it was going to be one of those nights he'd better change into comfortable clothes. His whole body was in pain, and he couldn't move his neck without the stiffness that had been bugging him all week; he took off his tie completely and slowly removed his shirt and placed it at the edge of his bed holding the black and gold cufflinks in his hand. He went to his dresser and opened the top drawer placing the cufflinks in the silver box that contained his collection of cufflinks...he was about to close the drawer when another item caught his attention.

He picked up the red silk bag and opened it, softly taking out the gold locket, Emily's locket; he had forgotten about it completely. He opened the locket again smiling at the younger version of Emily Prentiss. Then it hit him...why this case had affected him so much...all those women from the case, the women that had died at the hands of a pig, they had all had something in common, they were all brunette, beautiful, highly successful and intelligent women, they all reminded him of Emily. His smile vanished when he thought of her again; he had avoided thinking about her for a reason, it pained him too much to think about her, to remember her at all. He placed the locket back in the small bag and closed the drawer again. He then reached into his next drawer, his underwear drawer, he looked at the perfectly aligned and color arranged boxer briefs, then he picked up the only item that was foreign to his belongings. He picked up the lace thong and brought it to his nose, her thong, Emily Prentiss's underwear, the one she had worn the night they had been together, the night he had experienced one of the strongest orgasms of his life. He took in the smell of the fabric completely; he knew he officially looked like a sexual pervert, or a horny teenager, but he couldn't help himself, the fabric still smelled like her...it still smelled like them, like passion and desire. He closed his eyes as the pictures of that night slowly flew through his mind, scenes of him making love to her, of her moaning his name. _Dammit Emily Prentiss, why in the hell couldn't he get her out of his head._

He truly had tried, he had spent the last two months buried in his office until sunrise, or taking one case after another...he knew he was overworking his team, but he couldn't stop himself. He needed to do whatever it took to get her out of his head, even if it meant spending each minute of his life working, which, of course, wasn't helping because work was what reminded him the most of her. Every now and then, he found himself staring at her empty desk...they still had not found a replacement for her, and he doubted they ever would, but he knew he needed to move on as painful as it would be, he just needed to let go of her and move on with his life. After all, she had done just that, she had moved on with her life and forgotten that he even existed, he admitted that night probably had meant nothing to her, and she was probably happily living her life in London, and he knew that for a fact; well, not for a fact, but he had heard the girls talking about her on a daily basis, Emily was happily settled down and loving her job and new life in London, she had gotten back with that stupid boyfriend of hers, and she was doing great. She talked to the girls as much as their jobs allow, she skyped with Morgan and Reid and even sent letters and emails to Dave, she kept communication with everyone, everyone but him, hell! she had even sent an email to Strauss thanking her for everything and letting her know she was finally settled and doing well.

She, however, not even once...had bothered to call him, text him, or email him, nothing, not even to say "hi" through one of the girls, it was as if he was dead to her, or he had never existed, and that bothered him so much; he had been horrible to her, and it was probably his own fault she hated him, but at least a greeting through someone as a courtesy would have been nice and the polite thing to do, but no...nothing. He needed to get her out of his mind no matter what, he had obviously fallen in love with the wrong woman, and he needed to get over her for his own good. He placed the lace fabric back in the drawer and closed it. He continued changing into a FBI academy t-shirt and sweat pants, and he went back into his living room and poured another drink. Yes, this would definitely be a Johnny Walker night, even if he drank himself to death, he would forget about her...

...no matter what!

 **London**

Emily was pacing around the living room...she had been since Clyde had left a few hours ago. She thought she was fine now, and she had felt better, but as soon as Clyde left, she began to get nervous and anxious again. She and Clyde had spent all morning and part of the afternoon talking about the news, and even though she was happy, there was still something in the back of her mind that kept bothering her. She had wanted to avoid thinking about it, but she couldn't...it was like something that was starting to haunt her. Could she live with this for the rest of her life? What if this was what she was thinking? Could there be a possibility? She wasn't sure, but it sure bothered the hell out of her. She was trying to be strong, and she was usually better at dealing with situations like this. but right now she couldn't even concentrate. She was pregnant and she was much more emotional than usual and her mind was playing tricks on her big time. She kept trying to convince herself that she was just freaking out for no good reason, that she was just overreacting. She needed to convince herself that Max was the father of her baby, and she was going to finally have a happy life, the one she always dreamed of. She has to just move on and accept that he was no longer a part of her life...she was with someone else now and about to have a baby with that someone else. She simply needed to get Aaron Hotchner out of her head.

Her heart ached so much every time she thought about him, about that night they shared. She hated herself for so long, how could she had been so stupid to get drunk and let him take her to bed, when she knew for a fact that he hated her and thought the worst of her. He had never accepted her as part of the team, and he just wanted to play with her that night, and by now, probably all his friends knew about her, and they were probably laughing and making fun of her. Her eyes filled with tears just to think about him, how could she had been so stupid as to let him seduce her, how could she have been so stupid as to fall in love with him? He never accepted her, and he treated her like crap all the time she worked with him, so why in the hell was she still thinking about him, why couldn't she get him out of her head?

She knew she had to forget about him no matter what and move on with her life. She was pregnant now, and even if there was a slight possibility that maybe, just maybe, he was the father of her baby, she knew he would never accept her or accept the baby as his. So why torture herself with something that was highly unlikely and almost impossible. She was sure Max was the baby's father, and she had to just move on with her life. God had given her an opportunity to have a new life, a precious baby and a family, and she wasn't going to let the reminder of a ghost from her past destroy what could be her whole life's happiness. It was time to let go of her past and just focus on her present and her future. She smiled as she rubbed her still flat stomach, there was a baby in there...her baby.

A few hours later, Max walked into the apartment. He had been working all day, and he had left Emily with Clyde because he knew Clyde would take care of her because she had been a little sick. He was hoping she was feeling better so he could spend some quality time with her and pamper her. He knew she had been working a lot lately, and he was hoping that was why she had not felt well, but he was willing to do whatever it took tonight to make her feel better and make her smile. He was planning to make dinner for both of them and then give her a massage and maybe they could take a nice long bath together, then he could take his time taking care of her in bed.

He opened the door to her condo slowly, and he was surprised to find Emily in the living room sitting down on the sofa. She looked very tired and like she had been crying all day, and he immediately was worried about her.

"Hey, baby, are you alright? I was hoping you would feel better by now." Max said as he rushed to her side kneeling down in front of her by the couch.

"I'm okay, don't worry, we just need to talk, Max." Emily replied in a worried tone.

"What's going on? Is everything all right?" Asked Max in a very worried tone.

The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them..."I'm pregnant." Emily cried, as a few tears rolled down her beautiful face.

"Oh my God, Emily! Are you for real?" Max's face lit up like he had just won the lottery.

Emily just nodded as he held her hands in his. She had so much to say but she wasn't sure how to start, she was happy, of course she was, this was something she had wanted her entire life before she had even met Max and before when she was with Max. There was a part of her that just wanted to bury that part of her past and never tell Max, but she knew it wasn't fair, and he deserved to know. Another part of her wanted to take this secret to her grave and just live her life to the fullest with Max. She was riding an emotional roller coaster...she was happy because she was going to be a mother, she was scared for the future and for the what if's, she was heartbroken and sad for what Aaron Hotchner had done to her, she was terrified for the idea this baby could possibly, maybe just be related to him. This was good news but very unexpected, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for this kind of commitment and more than that, if Max was ready. This was a very big change for both of them; their lives would forever be changed. Max pulled her into his arms, almost crying from the happiness this gave him.

"Oh, baby, this is the best news ever, you just made me the happiest man in the world." Max said, as he kissed her hands.

"You're happy with this?" Emily asked shyly.

"Of course I am, Em, I love you, I've always loved you. I've wanted this more than anything in life." Max's eyes were full of love and light.

"I want this, too, but we need to talk, honey." Emily said, but he cut her off.

"I know, Em, I know what you're going to say, this is so unexpected, but we wanted this in the past. I'm going to be there for you and for my baby always. I love you more than anything, Em." Max pleaded looking at her.

"I know you do, Max, but there is something I have to tell you." Emily once again tried to speak.

"Listen, Em,...I know you're worried and scared, but I promise you that everything is fine, we'll be fine."

Emily wanted to let the words out, but suddenly she couldn't, she was frozen and Max was so happy and excited he wasn't letting her get out what she wanted.

"Max...I..."

"Marry me..."

"What...!" Emily asked in shock.

"Marry me, darling, we're going to have a baby, it's just the right thing to do."

Emily felt dizzy and all of a sudden her whole world stopped spinning around and the next thing she knew Max was rushing to his briefcase and then returned and knelt down in front of her, this time with a small velvet box in his hand.

"Will you marry me, Emily?" He asked, opening the box and revealing the white gold engagement ring.


	7. Chapter 7

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 7: Reflections and Looking Back Through Time.

 **FOUR YEARS LATER: LONDON**

Emily was driving back home from a long day at work with a major headache, and all she wanted to do was see her little girl and husband. The last couple of weeks at Interpol had been crazy chaos, one case after another, and on days like this, she wished she wasn't the boss where she was responsible for the outcome of these cases. Of course, being the perfectionist she was, she always pushed herself to the max, even if that meant more hours and exhausting herself the most.

It had been almost four years since Emily made the decision to marry Max and move on with her life, a decision she sometimes deeply regretted. Although, she was happy, she would always carry a doubt in her subconscious, along with the guilt and the uncertainty that she had made a mistake. Sometimes, she felt like a horrible and selfish person, but she had made the decision she made for many reasons, but mostly to protect her daughter and her daughter's happiness. When she discovered she was pregnant and Max asked her to marry him, she wanted to run, she wanted to walk the other way to shut Max out of her life, but it wasn't because she didn't love Max. She did care for him, and she had come to love him now, but at the time she discovered she was pregnant, there were a lot of things that made her doubt that a marriage with Max would work. She wasn't really the type of woman that would think she had to get married because she was pregnant; she knew very well that wasn't how love worked, and that definitely wasn't how life worked. She felt as if she had moved too fast with the entire Max thing, and she hadn't been sure if a relationship with him would work.

There was also the fact that she had been intimate with another man and there might be a small possibility that Max wasn't the father of her baby, and in her mind, that was a big issue. The possibility of that other man being the baby's father was miniscule compared to Max being the real father, but that truth scared the hell out of her! And more than that being true, the fear of being judged and the fear of people's reactions, especially her mother's and Max's, stayed in Emily's mind constantly. They would probably all judge her to be some kind of cheap slut that fell into bed with any man after a couple of drinks. That was not the kind of woman she was, but it did put her in a very tough position if her child turned out to be another man's.

Also, as much as she hated to admit it, that other man would never accept the baby as his, if it turned out the baby was indeed his. That man hated her and had hated her for three years...ever since the day she set foot on BAU property, even if they had slept together that one night. He hated her so badly...she couldn't even picture what his face would look like if she told him she was pregnant with his baby...he would probably kick her out from wherever they were and tell her to disappear and take that baby with her. He would never care for her baby or her, so why subject herself with the humiliation of being rejected by him, and worse, why put her baby through that pain and agony.

It was a selfish and stupid logic, and she would probably hate herself for hiding something so important, but again, this wasn't about her, this was about her baby's safety and happiness, and she knew Max was an amazing person and would protect her and her baby with everything in him. Max was the kind of loving person and father she needed to give her baby, even if there was a small possibility he wasn't the biological father, and to be honest, the chances of Max not being the father were slim to none, so why cause so much pain and trouble about something she didn't even know for sure. So she moved on with her decision to marry Max because she knew that was the best decision she could make for her baby. Five months after she married Max, she gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl that they named Bay Arian Olsen, and she was the most beautiful tiny human Emily thought she had ever seen. Bay was a clone and exact image of Emily, in fact, she could be her twin. Bay had raven black hair and alabaster skin, with chocolate brown eyes, so she looked a lot like Max, and although Emily had dimples they weren't as defined as Bay's. Bay's dimples were very prominent; that was something that made Emily really uncomfortable sometimes. Emily immediately fell deeply in love with her daughter; she was everything Emily had ever wanted in life. Bay brought so much happiness and joy to her life. Watching her grow everyday was an adventure. Bay was curious and very smart, and she had started walking and talking at a very early age. Max was sure she had inherited her mother's beauty and intelligence. He and Emily had talked about enrolling Bay in an early school for toddlers; they wanted their daughter to have the best education possible. Bay was sweet-natured and very loving, but she also had her mother's temper...she could definitely throw tantrums. Her intelligence and sweetness never ceased to amaze Emily, but sometimes Bay's dimples or frown took her in a direction she had avoided going in for the past three years.

The truth was, though, Emily was happy...her daughter had become the most important thing in her life; she has successful in her job, and she and Max where happy. It might be that she wasn't completely and utterly in love with Max like most movies showed, but she cared for him a lot, and it was a different kind of love. Emily was sure that one day she would learn to love him like that, like he was everything in the world to her. They were happy and they had a child together, that was all that she needed now, and she was comfortable and satisfied with that. When Emily finally arrived home she couldn't have been more relieved. It truly had been a rough month but now she was home, and nothing else mattered for her. She parked her car in the driveway of her house and got out of her car, tiredly making her way to the front door. She opened the door and the smells of her house greeted her immediately, it was a fresh night of spring, and it was starting to rain. Emily placed her purse and briefcase on the usual chair by the door, and she could smell the delicious food coming from the kitchen and the laughter of her husband and daughter. She walked into the kitchen slowly and the image in front of her made all the stresses on her mind disappear. Max was cooking dinner, and Bay was helping him sitting on one of the kitchen stools. They were making chocolate cupcakes, and Bay had chocolate all over her face, hands and apron.

"Hi, guys." Emily said, smiling joyfully.

"Mommy...!" Bay jumped off the stool running toward her mother...

Emily's smile got even wider and caught her little girl in her arms, hugging her tightly and smacking her little face with kisses.

"Hello, my sweetness." Emily said, kissing Bay and holding her close.

"Mommy, we're making cupcakes." Bay cried happily.

"I see that." Emily laughed, wiping the chocolate frosting from Bay's cheek.

"You also need a shower." Emily added when she realized the chocolate was all over her shirt and curly hair. Smiling, she picked her daughter up in her arms and walked further into the kitchen.

"Hi, honey." She said, pressing a kiss to her husband's cheek. Max was a nuclear engineer and made a good deal of money, but he worked mostly in the mornings while Bay was at pre-school, and after that, he would come home so he could take care of Bay and make dinner until Emily got off.

"Hi, darling, how was work?" Max asked her, handing her a cup of tea.

"It was a very long...day." Emily replied tiredly, smiling at his sweetness.

"Dinner is almost ready, you can eat, and then we can all go to bed." Max said, pressing a gentle kiss on her lips. He knew she had been working a lot for the last couple of weeks.

"Actually, I want to take a shower first, if you don't mind, then we can have dinner together." Emily said smiling.

"Of course, darling, go...I'll set the table for us." Max said smiling.

"Come here, munchkin, let's take a shower." Emily told her three year old, picking her up again.

"I don't want to take a shower, mommy." Bay protested, pouting.

"You have to, baby, you are covered in chocolate...come on, you can take a shower with mommy." That got the little girl more excited, and they headed upstairs to take a shower.

When they were inside the master bathroom, Emily began to undress her little girl; they had taken showers together before, and Bay was very used to her mother's naked body. So, when Emily started taking her daughter's clothes off, she noticed there was some small bruising on her legs and knees...nothing to be highly concerned about, but they were not normal.

"What happened to you, Bay." Emily asked concerned, taking her legs in her hands so she could look closer at her daughter's bruises.

"I don't know, I think I fell." The little girl answered, putting her arms around her body to make herself seem smaller.

"Do you think you fell, or you did you fall, baby? You have to be careful, sweetheart." Emily said, as she examined Bay's entire body.

Bay was three years and some months old and was very tall for a child her age, but she was also very skinny, Emily had questioned several pediatricians about her height and weight, but they all seemed to think it was normal and she was within the normal range for her age. In fact, they told Emily most healthy children were slim, and there were many countries trying to fight obesity in kids, and that was something that was somewhat upsetting to Emily. She definitely didn't want Bay to be obese, but she didn't want her to be skin and bones either. Emily's mother told her all the time that Bay was just as skinny as she had been when she was her age, and Emily shouldn't be concerned. Still Emily's motherly instinct make her really concerned because Bay had gotten sick a lot recently. Bay had been a very healthy child for the first couple of years of her life, but a few months ago, Emily had noticed that Bay had been sick more than usual and that really concerned her. The pediatrician kept telling her that everything was fine, but something in the back of her mind made her really concerned.

Once Emily was finished examining her daughter's entire body, they got in the shower and had some mother and daughter time playing with the foam and water. After that, they both settled down to eat dinner.

"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" Max asked Emily, worried since he knew all of her expressions.

"I think I'm just tired." She said, squeezing his hand gently. Max leaned forward to press a kiss on her lips.

"Are you sure?"

"Did Bay fall today?" Emily asked, unable to stop her self.

"No, why?" Max suddenly turned his attention to the three year old who was working on her dinner.

"There are some bruises on her legs, and she doesn't know where she got them." Emily replied, concerned. She wasn't trying to sound accusatory because she knew for a fact Max would never hurt their daughter since he was an amazing father. Still, working in the field she did for many years, she couldn't stop herself from questioning these kinds of things.

Max stood up and took a look at his daughter's bruising, he hadn't noticed the bruising, but that was because she was wearing school pants, and he knew she had not fallen at home, but knowing his daughter and how hyper she was, she had probably fallen down at school.

"She probably fell at school Em, you know Bay is very active, I'm sure it's nothing." Max told his wife, taking her hand and kissing it.

"I know, I just worry, you know." Emily stated, again looking at the beautiful raven-haired little girl who was now playing with her chicken dinner. There was something inside her that told her she should be worried and she didn't know why.

When dinner was over, Emily and Max put Bay to bed together, after they read her a story. They both headed to the room they shared talking for a while and then Emily fall asleep in his arms, she was just too tired to stay awake. Emily also knew she neglected Max a lot, and she didn't want to blame her job because she didn't want to be that kind of wife, but the reality was her job took so much time from her, and when she was home, her attention completely shifted toward Bay. That left little to no time for Max. However, he had never complained, he was truly amazing to her, and he was always there for her...she just wished she could love him back the same way he loved her. But she simply couldn't, and she didn't know why.

The next day, Emily left home earlier than usual, she had an important meeting at Interpol with the directors, and she knew that would take most of her morning. Max took care of dropping Bay off to school and then he headed to work. It was a normal day...he had to design several projects and a few meetings, but nothing very important, so most of the morning went by quietly, until around noon when Max received a call from L'Ecole Des Petits, Bay's school. Normally, they called Emily but he knew she was at a very important meeting that morning, and she wasn't going to have her phone with her.

The director of the school called telling Max that Bay had fallen on the school playground, and she had a cut on her head...nothing huge or terrifying, but they were having difficulty stopping the blood so they had rushed Bay to the hospital. Max felt like his heart was torn apart; he immediately rushed from his office and didn't even bother canceling his meetings or events that day. He just wanted to rush to the hospital and see his baby girl. When he arrived at the hospital, the doctors assured him Bay was fine and it had been a minor cut, they, however, were concerned because Bay had lost a lot of blood, and it wasn't normal for a cut that small. They reassured him they would do a blood transfusion for Bay since the amount of blood she had lost had been very concerning, and they wanted to keep her there long enough for several other tests.

Max wanted to see Bay so badly he almost fought with one of the doctors at the hospital, but he knew he also needed to remain calm and try to contact Emily. He didn't want to scare her since he was already there but, he knew Emily needed to know what was going on, and she would kill him if he didn't call her as soon as possible. He called her a couple of times and finally decided to send her a text explaining briefly what had happened. Max knew her meeting was super important and he had her work number, but he didn't want to get her out of the meeting when he was already with their daughter and she was stable. When she got out of her meeting, she would see his text message and would call him...for now all he could do was wait.

A while later, Emily's meeting was over and she was happy to be done. These meetings were usually stressful and very tiring; she still had a long day but for now, she wanted to grab a bite to eat and call Max and her mother. She and Clyde made their way out the long conference room and headed toward Emily's office.

"I think you owe me lunch." Emily teased.

"Oh, really, is that so?" Clyde asked, with a big smile.

"Yes, it's because of you that I put up with all this bureaucratic crap." She pointed out. That made Clyde.

"Fine, you're lucky you're cute and I like you."

Emily punched his arm playfully and walked inside her office.

"Let me just grab my phone and purse." Emily said, as she reached her drawer and grabbed her purse, pulling out her phone, then realizing she had several calls from Bay's school and from Max's phone, her heart immediately dropped. Checking quickly through her messages, she suddenly wanted to die when she saw her husband's text.

"Oh my God." She said in a shaky voice.

"Something has happened to Bay, they rushed her to the emergency room." Emily said in a barely audible voice.

"Let's go...now!" Clyde said immediately, taking Emily's purse and putting an arm around her because by the look of her face, she was about to pass out.

Clyde got them to the emergency room in less than ten minutes, and as soon as he parked the car, he and Emily both rushed into the hospital. They quickly made their way to the children's section where they saw Max pacing around.

"Max, what happened?" Emily begged, walking toward her husband with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"She is okay, darling, she fell on the playground and got a small cut." Max told her, trying to sound as calm as he could so he didn't freak out his wife.

"What do you mean a cut and how did she fall?" Emily asked, raising her voice.

"The teacher told me she was at recess, and they were on the playground where she slipped and fell to the ground, where she got a small cut but they couldn't stop the bleeding." Max explained gently.

"Oh my God, I want to see her, please." Emily begged, unable to stop the sobs that were coming from her mouth.

"They're running some tests on her now, but we'll see her as soon as they're finished." Max reassured her, pulling his wife into his arms.

"Tests for what...what the hell is going on, Max, I want to see my daughter NOW!?" Emily screamed crying.

"Just calm down, please, darling, she is fine...everything is going to be fine." Max said, pulling her into his arms again and hugging her tightly to him, as she cried in his arms.

A few hours later the, doctor came out of the doors.

"Mr. and Mrs. Olsen, I'm Dr Morrison." He stated, walking toward them.

"What's going on with my daughter?" Emily asked, raising her voice.

"Bay is fine, Mrs Olsen, we had to give her a couple of stitches, and she's fine now." Dr. Morrison said.

"You may see her as soon as the nurses are finished with the bandages and cleaning her up."

The doctor added, "However, there is something else we're worried about."

"What's going on?" They asked, holding hands.

"We want to run some more tests on Bay; the amount of blood she lost isn't normal and there are some bruises on her body that gave us some concern. Bay said she fell because she was dizzy, which raised even higher concerns." Dr Morrison further explained.

"What does this mean?" Emily asked, feeling a knot beginning in her stomach along with difficulty breathing.

"At this moment, we're not certain, however, we do need to run a blood test on both parents." Dr Morrison informed them.

"Why, what does Bay's fall and subsequent blood loss have to do with us?" Max asked concerned.

"It's actually protocol, and we just need to see the compatibility of blood cells in case Bay needs another blood transfusion." Dr Morrison explained to the couple.

"Absolutely, I'll give my daughter anything she needs." Max stated without hesitation.

However, Emily felt her heart starting to beat a hundred miles a minute, and she didn't know why.

 **A/N**

 _Now, Dear Readers, I know you're confused thinking this hasn't really been a Hotch/Emily story, but we had to give you a background to see where Hotch/Emily were coming from. You have now been introduced to Bay Arian, Emily's beautiful, raven-haired, dimpled daughter, and now the best is yet to come. We also split this chapter in two sections so we didn't make it a novel in the middle of a story. We'll try to get the second half of this chapter to you very soon._

 _In addition to that, I'm back in school, so I have to fit my writing into my school, work and volunteer schedule, but since writing is my stress-reducing past time, I plan to make you the beneficiaries of my past time...lol._

 _ **Happy Reading!**_


	8. Chapter 8

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 8: Worst Fear Becomes Reality

Emily was sitting at the bed in the emergency room where Bay was now sleeping peacefully. The school had rushed her there that morning because Bay had fallen at school, and the administrators hadn't been able to immediately reach either Max or Emily at their work numbers. At first, the teachers thought it was a minor cut, but when they were unable to stop the bleeding, they rushed the little girl to the hospital, where she had received a couple of stitches. The cut was on her head back from her hairline with her hair covering it. The doctors had assured Emily there would not be any visible scars on Bay's head and she would recover soon. However, they had kept Bay in the hospital under observation for other reasons. Bay had lost a large amount of blood from the small cut, and because they had not been able to stop the bleeding for a very long time. For a toddler, it was an especially large amount of blood, and they had to do an emergency blood transfusion to get her blood platelets to the proper level. The doctors wanted to keep Bay for a few nights to monitor her, because the nurses kept noticing a small amount of blood leaking from the area they had stitched in her head. This became a grave concern for the doctors because the wound didn't seem to be healing properly and continued to slowly leak.

In addition to the head wound leaking blood, the bruises Emily had found on Bay's knees and legs had raised concerns for the pediatricians. At first, they had investigated the parents...they didn't want to make any assumptions, but it was their job to rule out any child abuse. Emily was furious! At first, how could they even think she and Max would abuse their daughter, but as law enforcement officers, she understood where they were coming from. Once they had learned Emily was the leader of the London Interpol Gateway Office, they ruled out that possibility and even apologized to the her and Max.

But, the doctors were still concerned about several symptoms that Bay had exhibited... when the pediatrician came to talk with Bay about how she had fallen, Bay told the doctor she had felt dizzy and lost her balance on the playground, and this gave the doctors their gravest concern. It was then that the doctors realized they might be dealing with something other than a minor cut on a playground, and now they were running blood tests on Bay, along with some other tests they needed before they could come to a complete diagnosis. The doctors didn't want to give Emily and Max an update until the test results were completed. Dr. Morrison had been a pediatrician for many years, and he had seen other children with the same symptoms, so he was almost certain of what was going on with Bay, but he had to be completely sure of this diagnosis before he said anything to the parents. Meanwhile, he had also ordered blood tests for Emily and Max; he wanted to see whose blood was compatible with Bay's in case she needed another blood transfusion, or any other pathological test where they needed comparison blood. Dr. Morrison knew that if his suspicions were correct, the parents would also need to do more for their daughter than a simple blood transfusion, so it was important for him to find out who had more compatibility with Bay.

Emily ran her hand through her daughter's curly hair and watched her as she slept. She couldn't stop the tears that were running down her cheeks; the worst nightmare a mother could experience was having her child ill. Emily was extremely worried; they had been there for a long time and the longer they waited, the more worried she became. There was something else going on with her daughter, and Emily knew in her heart the doctors didn't want to tell her what their suspicions were...she could feel it, she had heard the doctors whispering, and it made her even more concerned. They had already tried to accuse them of abusing Bay, which made her even sadder. She would never hurt her daughter, and she knew Max would never hurt her either. If anything, they probably spoiled Bay more than any other couple she had ever met. Of course, she also knew Bay needed discipline even when she was a toddler, and sometimes Bay could really throw a tantrum, but nothing a couple of soft smacks on the bottom and a few hours without playing with toys would not fix...other than that, she had never laid a hand on Bay, still... she understood the doctor's point of view.

Now, the only thing that mattered to Emily was to find out what was going on with her daughter, and why the doctors had ordered so many more tests; she just wanted to take her baby girl home and never let her out of her sight. She was also very nervous because they were waiting on the blood test results for her and Max to see who was more compatible with Bay, and for some reason, that scared the hell out of Emily. She felt something in her stomach, and she wasn't sure what it was, but she knew it wasn't a good thing. She spent the next few hours sitting on the bed next to her daughter...she didn't want to leave her side until they found out what the test results were.

"You should go eat something, Em." Clyde said softly, walking inside the room.

"I'm not hungry, and I'm not moving from her side." Emily said in a dry voice.

Clyde came behind her and placed his arm around her shoulders; he knew how hard this was for her, hell, this was even hard for him because Bay was his goddaughter and he loved her dearly, and it pained him to see her little body in a hospital bed, especially when they didn't know what was going on with her.

"You need to take care of yourself, if you want to be strong enough to take care of her." Clyde said, pulling her into his arms.

"Where's Max?" Emily asked, avoiding his statement.

"He went to get you tea and something light to eat." Clyde said smiling.

Emily gave him a watery smile, and Clyde pulled her to him for a hug.

"Everything is going to be okay, darling." He said soothingly.

"I'm scared, Clyde, I know there is something going on, I can feel it, and the doctors won't come and tell us. Why won't they come?" She stated, as tears rolled down her face. Clyde could see that she was fighting so hard to keep from falling apart and crumbling in his arms. The strong woman that he had known for decades, that had only once in her life cried...when her father died...and that didn't take shit from anyone, that strong woman that did not bend for anything at all was here fighting the urge to break down completely as she watched her daughter sleep in a hospital bed.

"They'll come, Em, try to stay calm." He said, hugging her tightly, even though he himself was very worried about their little girl.

After several hours that seemed like an eternity, Dr. Morrison finally came to talk to the couple. They were all gathered in Bay's room when the doctor walked in.

"Sorry about the wait, Mrs and Mr Olsen." The doctor said quietly and from the look on his face, Emily immediately knew whatever he was about to say was definitely bad news...she could see it in his eyes.

"What's going on with my daughter, please just tell us!" Emily said, a little bit more rudely than she had intended to.

"Please sit down so we can talk." He offered politely.

"I don't want to sit, just tell us what the results of the tests are!" Emily said, beginning to get upset.

"As you know, we have run several more tests on Bay because of her continuing bleeding. We ran a CBC, which is a complete blood count...this test showed an abnormality in her blood platelets, meaning her blood has a greater percentage of white blood cells than compared to the percentage of red blood cells." Dr. Morrison tried to explain this to the couple as gently as he could. We also ran a Chem-20 panel which looks at 20 different things in the blood and helps us check for other factors in Bay's body.

"What does this mean?" Max asked anxiously.

'There's a possibility Bay may suffer from Leukemia." Dr. Morrison finally said, making both parents gasp as they realized they were hearing the words spoken about their precious daughter, and they were immediately plummeted into the worst nightmare a parent could ever have.

"Oh my God!" Emily covered her mouth in shock. Max was frozen in shock, too, not being able to react or respond. Clyde, too, stood there not knowing what to say or do.

"This is not possible, she is a healthy child, she was fine this morning." Max finally said, as tears rolled down his face, holding onto his wife who was also awash in tears.

"No...No...this has to be wrong, you have to be mistaken, she can't be sick, my baby can't be sick." Emily screamed, crying.

I'm very sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Olsen. Dr. Nicolletti will be a few minutes to talk with you more about Bay's case. Dr Nicolleti is the pediatric oncologist." Dr. Morrison said quietly.

"We just want you to know that we're here for you and your daughter for whatever you need, this is one of the best hospital in the country...your daughter is on good hands..."-Dr Morrison said finally walking out of the room and leaving them deal with their heartache.

"This can't be happening to us, Max...please tell me this is a dream." Emily begged, holding onto Max and crying heavily.

"We'll get through this, Emily, don't worry, sweetheart...whatever it takes, we'll make sure she's fine and that she gets the best care she needs." Max reassured Emily.

Clyde just walked towards Bay running his thumbs over her sweet, innocent sleeping face. This couldn't be possible, he couldn't bear the pain that his best friend was going through. He simply couldn't understand how it was possible that such a sweet, innocent child could be sick with a terminal illness. He couldn't understand how something like this could happen to such a great and amazing couple. The truth was everyone was devastated by the news. Max walked out of the room to make a few calls and to get some air. Emily hadn't moved from Bay's side, as silent tears rolled down her cheeks; Clyde couldn't stop himself and walked toward her pulling her into his arms. Emily immediately crumbled and broke down completely in his arms, sobbing and crying heavily.

"I can't lose her, Clyde, she's my baby, I can't do this." Emily sobbed.

"Shhhhhhh, Em, you have to be strong, we'll see the best doctors, no matter what we have to do we will save her...I promise you that..."-he said soothingly.

Emily didn't answer she just keep crying in his arms. Clyde and Max stood by Emily's side all night. They tried to reassure her that everything was going to be fine, and they explained to her that they would take Bay to the best doctors in the country. Both men adored Bay, and they would do anything for her, and to make sure Bay and Emily were only given the best of care.

The next morning, a very nice white haired grandpa kind of looking guy walked into the room. He had the kindest smile and brightest blue eyes.

Good Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Olsen, I'm Doctor Paul Nicolleti, and I'm the Chief of Pediatric Oncology. I'll be in charge of your daughter, Bay's, care." He said, with a very soft, calming voice.

Emily and Max just nodded...they were both exhausted, and they had no energy for words. They had been there all night.

"Would you guys like to come into my office so we can discuss further the situation with your daughter, Bay?" He offered. Emily turned to look at Bay, who was still sleeping...she didn't want to leave her daughter.

"Go Em, I'll stay with her, don't worry." Clyde offered.

Emily smiled sadly, and they both followed Dr Nicolleti to his office. When they walked inside, a small smile escaped Emily's lips. His office looked like a kid's room or a small toy store. It was painted in soft blue colors, and there was a small bed in the shape of a dinosaur for kids Emily assumed and everything in there was made for a kid, from the phone to the lamp on his desk. He offered Emily and Max a seat, and Dr. Nicolleti proceeded to pull out a file from his desk.

"First of all, I'm very sorry that we're meeting under these circumstances, but I can assure you that your daughter, Bay, is in excellent hands, and we'll do everything in our power to help her overcome this." Dr. Nicolleti offered sweetly.

Emily couldn't stop the small tears that were rolling down her cheeks.

"Thank you very much." Max said, since Emily couldn't speak.

"Do you know what Leukemia is?" He asked sweetly

"I know some of it but not in detail." Emily finally said in a dry voice.

"Leukemia is a cancer that starts in early blood-forming cells found in a person's bone marrow, the soft inner part of certain bones. Most often, leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells, but some leukemias start in other blood cell types." Dr Nicolleti said, showing them a few pictures in a book.

"But, how did our daughter get this?" Max asked, unsure.

We're not certain. Cancers can be caused by DNA mutations, or other types of changes in a person's body that turn on oncogenes or turn off tumor suppressor genes. These gene changes can be inherited from a parent, as is sometimes the case with childhood leukemias, or they may happen randomly during a person's lifetime if cells in the body make mistakes as they divide to make new cells." Dr Nicoletti explained.

"So, you're saying one of us passed this to Bay?" Max asked, in shock.

"Not necessarily, Mr Olsen, as I explained, it could be genetic, if someone in your family ever suffered from cancer."

"Is there any history of cancer in your family?" Dr Nicolleti asked.

"No, not that I know of." They both answered.

"Certain inherited diseases can increase the risk of developing leukemia, but most childhood leukemias do not seem to be caused by inherited mutations. Usually, DNA mutations related to leukemia develop after conception rather than having been inherited." Dr Nicolleti said.

Emily nodded, unable to take anymore, tears started rolling down her cheeks, and her husband pulled her into his arms.

"Dr. Nicolleti, what choices do we have, I want to do anything that will save Bay's life, no matter what that is." Max pointed out.

"There are several options, the most effective one being chemotherapy."

"But, but, she's only three, can she go through that?" Emily asked in a shaky voice.

"We have several options, but that is where we have to start." He pulled out a few brochures from his desk.

"We might also need several blood transfusions, and stem cell transplants." Dr. Nicolleti continued.

"We want the best treatments possible for our daughter, no matter what the price is." Emily said.

This is a great hospital. There are some equally good if not better treatments in other countries if you want to consider relocating. There is a great hospital in Boston called Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders, and there is also Children's National Medical Center in Washington, but those might be difficult for you guys considering you live here." _That caught Emily's attention...a hospital in Washington...was this fate or what?_

"I used to live in Washington...we could consider relocating." Emily said, without hesitation

"It is one of the best hospitals in the country, but I will give you time to think about it."

"I also have the results here of your blood tests...here." Dr Nicolleti said, pulling out both parents' tests.

"Mrs. Olsen, while there are similarities between your blood cells and Bay's blood type, with the illness she has, we prefer to not use you as a donor."

'Why not, I am her mother, I want her to have my blood!" Emily snapped.

"Parental blood transfusion isn't necessarily always recommended, e especially when there is an illness." The doctor smiled softly trying to make Emily feel less useless in her daughter's illness.

"What about mine, can we use mine?" Max said

"Actually, your blood has no genetic connection to Bay whatsoever, so your blood may be the best match to use for Bay."

However, with those words, Emily's ears began ringing, and she felt like a cold bucket of water had been dumped on her head...she couldn't think nor could she breathe. She could feel the intense gaze her husband was sending her way.


	9. Chapter 9

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 9: Spoken Truths

That afternoon, Max made an unusual call to his mom, a hesitated call, and one he didn't even know how to start, but he needed someone to stay with Bay at the hospital while he took care of something he needed to do, so he asked her if she could stay with Bay until he finished. Max had been pacing the living room of his house since he arrived home. The last couple of days had been a nightmare for him; he never thought this would happen to him. He was happy living a perfect life with a beautiful wife and a gorgeous little girl. But it was all taken away from him in the blink of an eye. His heart was aching, and he wasn't sure what do, everything he had believed in turned out to be a lie, and now, now, here he was in his house lonely, and waiting for Emily to return...he needed to confront her and find out the truth. Why had she done this to him, he had done nothing but love her and give her the best...how could she have done this to him.

A few nights ago, they had found out their daughter, Bay, had leukemia, and that was one of the worst experiences he had ever imagined he would live through. His little girl, the light of his life, had been diagnosed with leukemia, and that had been such devastating news for the couple; he had never imagined anything like this would happen to him and his family. His little girl was healthy and beautiful; this wasn't supposed to happen to her, this wasn't supposed to happen to them, they had the perfect marriage, he thought he was happy, he thought Emily was happy, but apparently, it had all been a lie. He held the piece of paper in his hand as he felt fresh tears slide down his cheeks. He wanted to break everything in that house, tear it apart, it was all a lie, it had always been a lie! He walked toward the living room grabbing one of the portraits from the coffee table of Emily and Bay, when Bay turned two and they looked so happy. He smashed the picture against the wall angrily. How could Emily have done this to him!

The night they had found out about Bay's illness, both Max and Emily had taken a blood test, because the doctors needed to see who could be a better match to donate blood to Bay if she needed it. The doctors had implied Max did not have a genetic connection to Bay at all, and he had watched Emily's facial expressions change...she had gotten uncomfortable and had avoided his gaze. When the doctor left them alone in the room to discuss what they wanted to do next for their daughter, he had asked Emily what the doctor had meant when he said there wasn't a genetic connection between him and Bay, Emily just got more nervous and changed the subject, saying it was a mistake. Then she returned to the room with their daughter...but he knew something was wrong, something had changed in her behavior, and he knew he needed to investigate further. So he did, the next day he talked to one of the lab technicians, the only time in his life he had ever bribed someone for something and he had ever done anything behind Emily's back. But the young guy took the cash ,because he said he needed it for school or something and behind the doctor's back, they performed a paternity test on Bay, and now here he was holding the piece of paper in his hand, tears rolling down his face with his heart broken into a million pieces.

He called his mother as soon as he got the test results asking her to stay with Bay at the hospital; he needed to resolve this...he needed to talk to Emily, and he knew he couldn't do it at the hospital, not in front of their little girl. So, he had decided to go home and confront her there...she was supposed to stop by to shower and change clothes after work then meet him at the hospital to stay with Bay for the rest of the night. So here he was waiting for the woman he had loved for the past four years...no scratch that...the woman he had loved for the past eight years. He simply needed an answer, a few minutes later, he heard the door unlock, his heart froze, and he simply couldn't think anymore.

Emily walked into their house; she needed to take a quick shower then head to the hospital to see her daughter. The last couple of days had been a nightmare...she had not slept at all, her mind was a complete fog, and she was having trouble concentrating on anything. Now though, the only thing that mattered to her was to go back to the hospital and see Bay.

"Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay with Bay." Emily stated, worried when she walked into the living room and saw Max sitting in their house.

"Bay is with my mom." He answered shortly, but Emily could see in his eyes that something was up, he had been crying and he was upset.

"What's going on?'' She asked, walking further into the living room. This night smelled like trouble, and she wasn't sure if she was up for this now.

"You tell me, Emily?" Max asked, unable to control himself.

"What are you talking about?"

"How could you do this to me, Emily, how could you?" He asked, raising his voice.

"Max..." But he approached her angrily and handed her a piece of paper, she took the paper in her hands and her heart dropped. She felt her knees almost give out on her, and everything around her started spinning. It was a paternity test that confirmed that Bay Arian wasn't his biological daughter.

"Max..." Emily started weakly.

"You cheated on me, Emily, how could you have done something so low, I gave you everything, I gave you my best." Max finally lost it and started screaming at her.

"No, Max, this isn't what you think." Emily tried to explain.

"It's not, then what the hell is this! She isn't my daughter, Emily?"

"You cheated on me, you betrayed me and our vows, and now, I just found out that the child I have raised for the last three years isn't mine, how could you do this?" He asked, raising his voice even louder.

"Please stop screaming, I know you're mad, but I can explain this. I just need you to calm down." Emily begged.

"Calm down!? How the hell am I supposed to calm down, when I just find out my fucking wife has been cheating on me and got pregnant by another man!"

"I didn't cheat on you, Max." Emily replied evenly.

"Then, how in the hell do you explain the fact that I'm not Bay's father, because unless you got pregnant by the Holy Spirit, I have been married to a tramp for the past four years!" Emily finally approached him and slapped him open palmed across his face.

"You do not talk to me like that, do you hear me? I can explain this to you, and I'm trying, but I won't tolerate you being disrespectful to me like this." She finally screamed.

"I didn't cheat on you, Max...I...this happened before you and I got together." Emily said, closing her eyes as tears rolled down her face.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Max asked, still shaking from how angry he was.

Emily took a deep breath...she had been avoiding this moment for the past three days, no, she had avoided thinking about this for the past four years. Finally, reality had hit her in the face and she was facing the weight of her own mistakes, now there was no turning back...the truth was out.

"The night before I moved back to London, my friends from the BAU threw me a going away party..." Emily started...she remember the night so clearly, as if it had been yesterday.

"I was drinking and things...something happened that night, I slept with someone I shouldn't have." Emily said, as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It meant nothing, it was a mistake...something I'll always regret." She said, facing the man that had been so amazing to her for the past four years. It really pained her to hurt him, it pained her to see him so heartbroken and so miserable, she hated herself so much.

"The next morning, I left D.C. and came here, and I haven't spoken to him since."

"And you never thought about telling me this." Max asked, raising his voice again.

"There was no point, Max." Emily tried to explain.

"There was no point! Are you fucking serious! You sleep with a man and literally weeks later, you sleep with me, and you thought there was no point in telling me this!?" He screamed, slamming all the pictures on the counter to the floor, causing a loud noise and breaking all the glass and frames. Emily jumped slightly from his reaction, having never seen Max so angry on her life.

"Please calm down, Max..."-Emily said, raising her voice slightly.

"Calm down? Calm down? How in the hell am I supposed to calm down? He yelled, glaring at her.

"I know I should have told you about this, Max, but I really didn't know he was the father." She said, feeling tears sliding down her cheeks.

"You didn't know? How stupid do you have to be to know that if you sleep with a man you can get pregnant...don't give me that bullshit!" He hissed angrily.

"It was one fucking night, Max, it took me years to get pregnant. You know how hard we tried when we were together before, you and I." Emily was trying to keep her façade intact.

"I really didn't think it could be his...I...wanted this for you and I. I wanted us to work. I wanted to have this baby and this family with you." Emily approached him crying, trying to hold him.

"But, you knew he could be the father, Emily, and yet you didn't tell me anything, you hide something so important from me...you lied to me, and you betrayed me!" Max said, angrily walking away from her.

"Who is Bay's father? Who is the fucking father?" He loudly questioned, glaring at her.

"It doesn't matter." Emily said, closing her eyes.

"It doesn't matter? Are you fucking serious?" Max asked, incredulously.

"No, Max, it doesn't fucking matter!" Emily finally said, finally raising her voice and losing all sense of decorum.

"He wouldn't care even if he knew Bay was his. He would want nothing to do with her or me. He hated me and probably still does. He would never care for her." Emily said, unable to stop the tears that were now running freely from her eyes.

"He was a mistake, Max, I was drunk, and I...should never have been with him. He treated me like shit, and for three years, he made my life a living hell, he's the reason why I moved here in the first place." Emily confessed as Max was listening to her, aghast.

"If I could take that time back and change that night, I would...but I can't...when you and I got back together...I wanted that, Max, I really did, I loved you so much in the past, and I just wanted to be happy again and feel safe again like I always did with you." She took a deep breath and looked at him again.

"When I found out about Bay, it was the happiest day of my life...I was finally going to have my fairy tale...with you, with the most amazing man I had ever met." She said, looking at him sincerely.

"But, you knew there was a possibility he was the father...and you chose not to tell me." He again reproached her.

"I knew the possibilities of him being the father were much lower than you being the father, and I chose to believe she was your's." She said, walking toward him again, trying to hold him; Max, however, again shoved her away from him.

"Well, apparently you chose wrong." He said, walking toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Anywhere that is not here with you, I can't be around you, I just can't..." Max said sadly.

"I'll be there for Bay for whatever she needs, even though she isn't mine, I love her like she is, and I'll always do anything for her." He told Emily with tears in his eyes.

"As far as you are concerned, I never want to see you in my life again?" Max said harshly.

"Max, please..." Emily begged, going after him, but he walked through the door, slamming it shut and leaving Emily alone in the room crying.

She stood there without knowing what to do. She felt terrible, like a horrible person, she couldn't get the look in Max's eyes out of her mind, the pain she had caused him. He had been amazing to her, and this was how she paid him back. She never meant to hurt him, she truly never did, all she had wanted was the best for her daughter Bay, and she and Max could give her that. Now, she didn't know what do, her mistakes had finally caught up with her, she knew at some point this day would come. Her worst nightmare had come true...Aaron Hotchner was indeed Bay's father.

She arrived at the hospital later that night after she had settled down and had taken a shower. Neither Max nor his mother was there; Emily had called the only friend she felt she still had in her life to stay with her daughter until she composed herself completely. Clyde had said 'yes' without even thinking about it. He knew something was wrong with her and he was worried, so he did as she asked and went directly to the hospital and stayed with Bay until his best friend arrived. When Emily finally did arrive, Clyde knew something was very wrong; her eyes were puffy and red, and Clyde knew she had been crying heavily, and knew it wasn't because of Bay. He knew Emily, he had known her for over two decades, and he could see the pain in her eyes and soul. She walked into the room quietly, looking so fragile and vulnerable.

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm so late." She said quietly, walking toward the bed and placing a kiss on her sleeping daughter's forehead.

"It's alright, they just brought her back, they did another blood transfusion." Clyde said, looking at her.

"Okay, has Dr. Nicolletti been here?" She asked tiredly, touching her daughter's sweet face.

"He's going to stop by to talk with you. What's going on, Em." He asked, walking toward her.

"Nothing, it's just been a long couple of days." Emily lied, and Clyde, however, lifted her chin bringing her eyes to look at him.

"I know you better than you know yourself, you can't lie to me, what's going on?" He asked, seriously. Emily looked away from his bright blue eyes, and her eyes filled with tears. Clyde didn't know what was going on, but he pulled her into his arms.

"What is going on, darling, whatever it is, you can tell me, it's me, Em!" Emily just stood there, crying in his arms softly. He gently led her to the couch, and they sat down; Clyde watched her as she tried to compose herself. When she finally got her tears under control, she turned to look at Bay and shook her head.

"Max and I are getting divorced." She said softly, so Bay would not hear anything, even in her sleep.

"What!?" Clyde asked in shock.

"I did something really bad, Clyde. I'm a horrible person..." Emily told him with tears rolling down her cheeks, and it pained Clyde so much to see her in such agony, she was struggling to talk, choking on her own words.

"I'm sure whatever it is, it can't be that bad, just tell me, Em, you know you can tell me anything." He said as he took her hands in his.

"The night before I moved here, I slept with someone...it was a mistake...I was drunk and so was he." She finally explained. Clyde was smart enough to put two and two together, he watched as her eyes fell back on Bay, and then it finally hit him.

"He's Bay's father." ...It wasn't a question.

"I wanted to put that night behind me. I wanted to forget about him and move on with Max. I wanted to believe she was Max's baby. I know it was wrong. I just wanted the best for her, you know? I know I'm a monster." Emily told her friend, with her eyes

full of tears.

"Emily, that doesn't make you a monster. It makes you a human, we all make mistakes and while this is something serious, I know you were trying to do the best for your daughter." Clyde said, wiping her tears and pulling her into a hug.

"Max hates me, he didn't deserve this." She said, pulling away from him.

"He's hurt and angry, but one day, he'll understand you did what you did to protect Bay and to seek her happiness." He smiled softly at her.

"God, Clyde what have I done." She exclaimed, placing her elbows on her knees and hiding her face in her hands, sobbing. Clyde just rubbed her back gently until she calmed down enough. When she did, he spoke again.

"May I ask you a question?" Emily nodded, he was her best friend, and there were no secrets between them.

"Who's the father?" He felt uncomfortable asking her this, but he just needed to know.

"Aaron, Aaron Hotchner." She said, looking at her knees.

"Your supervisor at the BAU?" Max asked, surprised.

"I thought you hated each other!" He said in shock.

"We did, we do, it was one fucking night, Clyde, a stupid night I'll regret all my life, no, wait, I don't regret Bay...she's the best thing that has ever happened to me." She paused, looking at her sleeping daughter.

"I regret him being the father, it was a mistake being with him. I was too drunk and too stupid to think straight, that night was all a game for him." She said, with fresh tears rolling down her eyes.

"I assume he doesn't know anything about her."

"No, and he never will, it's just better that way. He'll never accept her or me, he hates me, and I hate him, there's no point!?" Clyde knew Emily more than anyone in her life, He could hear it in her voice and see it in her eyes. She felt something for Aaron Hotchner, and it wasn't hatred.

"Emily, look at me please." She did as he asked, and he analyzed her...really analyzed her.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?" He asked, although he already knew the answer.

"What? NO! of course not, Clyde." She answered in a defensive tone.

"Then, why do you want to take Bay to the hospital in Washington, when you have so many other options?" He questioned her while looking at her very intensely. Emily had decided a few nights ago they would move back to Washington and have Bay have her treatment there. Emily ignored his question and looked away from him.

"Emily?" Clyde asked her softly.

"I'm going to find Dr. Nicolletti." She said, standing up and walking away from Clyde. Clyde, however, didn't need an answer from her, he could see it in her eyes. She was still in love with Aaron Hotchner.


	10. Chapter 10

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 10: Returning To The Hated Land

Emily was picking up the last couple of boxes from the place she once called home, the moving truck had already picked up everything else, and they had sent most of the furniture to her now ex-husband's new house; she had shipped some of her and Bay's belongings back to D.C, including their personal things. Emily was absolutely exhausted; the last couple of weeks had been the longest of her life...she had big bags under her eyes, and she barely had the energy to stand up. In between learning of her daughter's illness, getting divorced, and arranging her return to D.C, she had barely slept or eaten anything; she had probably lost ten pounds easily, yet she needed to maintain her strength and her focus. Although she felt like falling apart, in addition, it seemed she was always on the verge of tears. She never thought this would happen to her, she was happy...she had it all yet, everything was gone in the blink of an eye. Her daughter had been diagnosed with a terrible disease, and Emily just wanted to die in her stead, she wished it was her that was sick and not her little baby girl. Why her, Bay was such a sweet innocent baby, why did God punish her like this. Emily was absolutely sure that was what it was, she was being punished for her mistakes in her younger years, for everything she had done wrong, she had hurt so many people with her mistakes and now, now, her baby girl was paying for those mistakes. Emily felt horrible...she wanted to give her life for her daughter, and she probably would, she was willing to do anything it took to save her daughter, no matter what it cost her, she would save her daughter. Emily had made a silent vow to herself that she would take Bay to the best doctors, even if she had to spend every last dollar she had, she would save her precious daughter's life.

While in the process of learning about her daughter's illness, she had also gotten separated from the man with which she thought she would spend the rest of her life. It really pained her that things had ended up the way they had with Max because she truly never meant to hurt him; he had been amazing to her for so long, and the last thing she wanted to do was break his heart, but her stupid mistakes finally caught up with her, and now, because of that, she was in the middle of a divorce. At the same time they learned that Bay was sick, they had also learned her daughter wasn't biologically related to her Max...something she had always feared, and if truth be known, had probably known deep inside her. When she had found out she was pregnant with Bay, she had been with Max for only a couple of months; she had barely just moved back to London, and it had taken her by surprise. Max, however, quickly took responsibility and asked her to marry him, something Emily wasn't sure she really wanted. She felt like it was too soon, and she wasn't ready for it; what Emily never told anyone was that the reason why she wasn't ready was because she was in love with another man. She had been in love with him for three years, regardless of the fact that he was an asshole to her and had been for all those years. She had hidden her feelings for him for so long, choosing to move to another country to forget about that same man. But her mistake was that she had gotten drunk at her "goodbye uncelebration" the night before she was leaving for London and her new position and let her feelings get in the way, and she gave herself to that man, and it turned out to be the best sex she had ever had, making her unable to forget about that moment. So, when Max asked her to marry him, she wasn't sure because she still loved the man she left behind, and not only that, there was a small probability that the baby she was carrying was that man's baby. But Emily couldn't tell Max that, she couldn't tell anyone that she had slept with someone who hated her after one night of drinking, and now that man could be the father of her baby. Instead, she chose to bury her past, hide her mistakes and marry Max, hoping that he was the real father of her baby...thus, running away from her mistakes.

For the next four years, Emily lived a life of lies; she had to pretend to be happily married and devote herself to her new husband and child. She just wanted to forget about her past, but it hadn't been that easy, because her past always chased her like a ghost, and those lies kept growing and growing. Every time she looked at her daughter, she saw her past, every time her daughter smiled or frowned, she saw that night she had chosen to run away from. Emily knew deep inside her heart, every time she saw those beautiful dimples on her baby girl's cheeks, she saw Aaron Hotchner's dimples, and that frown her baby girl gave her sometimes took her back to those times at the BAU when the stoic Aaron Hotchner looked at her with those questioning eyes. Deep inside her soul, she had always known he was the real father of her daughter, but once again, she had chosen to run away and look the other way, pretending she didn't see what was blatantly staring her in the face. She chose to pretend Bay was Max's daughter, and she lived a lie for the next three years. But eventually, her lies caught up with her in the worst kind of way, the truth was out, her secret had been revealed, and now Max hated her and she was fighting so hard to keep everything together and not fall apart for Bay's sake. She needed to remain strong for her daughter and to keep going because there was a little human being that needed her more than ever, and now she just needed take responsibility for her own mistakes and keep moving forward. As she placed the boxes in the trunk, she turned around to glance at the house. She felt so much agony...this had been her home for the last four years, and it had been a happy home; she sighed and was about to walk to the door to lock everything before she drove away when she saw the black Audi approaching, her ex-husband's car. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled deeply, the last thing she needed was to go another round with him. They had been doing nothing but arguing over the last couple of days, and she was truly tired of it. She knew Max was very upset, and he had reason to be, but he had done nothing but insult her, calling her names and being a complete jerk to her...in fact, Emily had seen a side of Max for the last couple of weeks that she had never seen before. He was awful, and he had said so many hurtful things to Emily that she truly was hurt, she would never have thought he would treat her like that regardless of what she had done. She watched him as he got out of the car and started walking towards her.

"Hey, I just came by to see if there was anything left that you needed help with." Max said, sounding calmer than during the previous days.

"I'm fine, I just got the last couple of boxes out." Emily said, looking away from him.

"When are you leaving.?" He asked.

"We leave first thing tomorrow morning."

"I'll stop by to see Bay tonight before you guys leave." He said, looking at her again.

"Okay, that's fine." Emily replied, walking back toward the house to close the doors with Max following after her.

"How am I supposed to live away from the child I raised the last three years of my life?" He asked, although his tone wasn't angry anymore. Emily just rolled her eyes; she was so tired of this.

"Max, this isn't about you, this is about Bay and getting her the best treatment possible." Emily replied tiredly.

"I know that, Emily, but why choose Washington? Why take her thousands of miles away from me?" He asked, pleading with her.

"It's one of the best hospitals, according to Dr. Nicolletti. You heard him tell us that. I've already explained that to you a hundred times." She said, as she locked the door of her old house.

"Or, is it because 'HE' lives there?" Now, his words were full of jealousy and hatred.

Emily sighed again, trying to keep her cool.

"No, that is not the reason why, Max. I am finished fighting about this. I've already explained this over and over, and no matter what I say to you, you're just going to feel the same way. I am tired of this, Max." Her eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"I've apologized a million times for what I did, and I know you hate me and think I am a horrible person, but please understand that this isn't about you or me it is about Bay!" Her last words were tired and a single tear rolled down her eyes.

"There are other options and hospitals, that's all I'm saying." He said, wiping the tear away gently.

"Yes, there are, but Washington was my home once, my mother lives there, and I have a lot of friends that can help me, and be there for me and Bay." She explained one more time.

"Are you ever going to tell him?" Max asked, all of a sudden, looking at her skeptically.

"Honestly? I don't know." She confessed truthfully.

"He is her real father." Max pointed out sadly.

"Yes, he is, but honestly, I don't think he will ever care for her, or for me, he never did. I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, but he was a mistake, Max." She looked him directly in the eyes, every time she thought about Aaron Hotchner it pained her, Max just look down.

"I have to go. Max, I still need to get some things and then go back to the hospital." She said, trying to move past him, but he stopped her.

"Emily, I'm very sorry about everything I said to you. I...know I was out of line. I also know you never meant to hurt me. I was just mad." He apologized for his behavior over the last couple of weeks.

"It's okay, Max."

"No, it's not, I'm sorry. I still love you, Em, I always will." He sadly looked at her again.

"I know that, and I really hope one day you can forgive me."

"Can I ask you something and you tell me the truth?" Max asked.

"Sure."

"You still love him, don't you? That's why you were never able to love me?" That caught her completely off guard, and she stood there looking at him with her mouth open without knowing what to say, but she knew she needed to answer him.

"I honestly don't know, too much has happened and it's been too long." She finally said, truthfully.

"Yeah, well, maybe things will change." Max stated and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Bye, Em, I hope you find the happiness you deserve with him one day." With that, he walked away leaving Emily more confused and sad than before.

 **Washington D.C.**

It was late at night and the stoic Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner was still on his office working on paperwork and cases; everyone had gone home for the day except for JJ who was still separating the last cases that had been sent to them. He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he turned the pages of the cases his team had turned in, it had been a very long, boring day with a lot of paperwork, but he didn't want to go home and he wasn't sure why. Well, actually he was...he didn't want to go home because he had gotten into an argument with his current girlfriend, Beth Clemons...they had been dating a little over four months, and she was already becoming controlling and obsessive. She was very jealous and basically tried to control his every move. Hotch had met Beth when he was training for the FBI marathon, and they had trained together a few times. She asked him out one night and Hotch wasn't sure if he truly wanted to start dating again; he basically had been single since he divorced, and he was happy to stay that way. But, Dave insisted he needed to get out of the routine and maybe start dating again, so when Beth asked him out, Dave managed to convince him to go out again so he did. At first, it was okay. Beth was pretty and had a sparkling personality, and he had not been laid in over five years, well, four if he counted that night with Emily, but other than that, he had been single for a long time, and he was a man and he had needs. He felt wrong saying that since he had always been a gentleman, and he would never use a woman to fulfill his needs, he actually wanted a girlfriend, and the company of someone who could make him smile again and make him feel loved. But to be honest, it had not really worked out. Beth was pretty, but she was a very jealous person, something that Hotch didn't like, and he wasn't aware of until after they began dating. He didn't like to be controlled, and she also started fights over seemingly small issues; he wasn't really happy, and honestly, he wasn't sure if he would ever truly have deep feelings for her. Right now, he was choosing not to go home and avoid having another fight and avoid having to explain why he had stayed at work so late.

A few minutes later, JJ walked into his office to hand him the last stack of files for that evening.

"Hey, Hotch, so these are all the files for the possible cases we could be involved in during these coming weeks." JJ said, handing him all the documents.

"Thank you, JJ, I really appreciate you staying this late." He said, taking the files and placing them on his desk.

"It's okay, I have to stay up anyway, I'm waiting on Emily's call to see when she arrives tomorrow...with the time zone difference, it can be a little tricky." JJ said, smiling widely.

With that, the files that he had in his hand fell on the floor scattering the pages all over the carpet and beneath his desk. He quickly picked them up, trying to appear normal.

"Emily is visiting?" He asked the blonde, feeling his heart beat a thousand times per minute.

"She's moving back here, haven't you heard? Her daughter is sick, they are transferring her to a hospital in D.C." JJ explained.

"I'm sorry to hear that, is she okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. Bay is really sick, and I think she is going through a lot of things. I wouldn't be okay. Would you if they told you that Jack was sick?" JJ asked sadly.

"No, I wouldn't." He responded.

"I hope everything works out okay for her." He said, placing the files back on his desk.

"Yeah, I know, good night Hotch." JJ said, walking out of his office and heading toward the doors.

Hotch stood there aghast watching as the blonde walked out of the BAU doors; he was so surprised he couldn't even process his thoughts. Emily was coming back...the woman he had avoided thinking about for the past four years, the woman that had broken his heart that morning when he woke up to an empty bed after they had shared the most memorable night of his life. He had had the most amazing sex of his life with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen on earth, the woman that he had been secretly in love for the previous three years, but apparently that night had been a complete mistake for her, because she left that morning without even saying goodbye to him. He had realized that day how much in love he was with her, and he knew he needed to find a way to let her know that, he even thought about flying to London to go after her, to tell her that he loved her, and he had for the past three years. He had even bought the tickets and had planned not to come back until he brought her home with him, but a few days before his plane was to leave, he had learned she was pregnant and was going to marry another man, so once again, his heart was shattered into a million pieces, and it was when he realized he just needed to let her go.

It took him so long, to stop thinking about her because she kept in touch with everyone in the BAU but him. Garcia and JJ constantly talked with her and about her, she talked to Reid and Morgan, and she even talked to Dave, everyone had communication with her except him. They all received a picture every month of her daughter, the little girl that had stolen the team's heart, and they had even visited her in London several times. Everyone kept a great friendship over the years with her and her daughter, everyone but him. It took him a few years to get over her, to stop thinking about her, and finally he thought he had gotten over her and started dating another woman, and now she was coming back, Emily Prentiss was coming back...the problem was, Hotch wasn't sure if he was over her.


	11. Chapter 11

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 11: Bay, Horses and the Stranger Friend.

For Emily, the next couple of weeks had been much more stressful than she thought they would be; she had to find a new place for her and Bay to live, settle her daughter at the new hospital and try to find a new job. She had enough money saved to live comfortably for a few years, and she also knew her mother was there and would help her in every possible way, but she didn't want to be that kind of woman...she had always been strong and independent. She was hoping things would settle down over the next few weeks.

Bay was fine, thankfully, and that was Emily's main priority; Bay had already received her first chemotherapy treatment, and she had been assigned an excellent doctor. Dr. Steven Bergman was a young man that seemed to be very kind with children, and he had been put in charge of Bay's care; Emily was very pleased to learn that he was the Director of Pediatric Oncologists for the Washington hospital. Emily was very happy with him, as was Bay...he was very sweet with Bay, and he managed to make her laugh a lot, which was what her daughter needed the most. She had found a nice condo near the hospital, and now Emily was just waiting to hear back from a few job applications she had sent out to various Federal agencies.

All of Emily's friends had been amazing to her...they had all visited her and Bay at the hospital almost every night. Emily never felt so loved before because she was basically never alone at the hospital, either JJ or Penelope, Derek or Spencer were with her at all times, and even Dave had spent a couple nights at the hospital with her. Her mother was also being amazing to her; they had never really had a good relationship, but ever since Bay was born, her mother had changed so much and had become more understanding with her. Elizabeth Prentiss had made the best resources available for her granddaughter, and she was being an emotional sounding board for Emily. Emily had never been more thankful to have her mother in her life than now, yes, they had a very rough relationship for most of her life, but they were family, and family was always there for each other. Besides, Bay adored her grandmother, and it was doing her so much good to be around her, so Emily just wanted to do whatever made her daughter the happiest.

She was exhausted and many nights Emily spent them crying; she was a very strong woman, yes, and she had lived through worse, plus, she compartmentalized so well, but having your daughter severely ill was something she wasn't sure she could live through. Emily knew she had the support of her mother and all her close friends, but she knew that if something happened to her baby girl, she would not survive it intact...she would not be able to survive it with a sane mind. She needed to maintain a positive attitude and be strong for Bay's sake, but Emily just wasn't sure she could do this alone, She knew she wasn't literally alone because she had so many wonderful friends that were willing to drop their lives in a heartbeat to be with her and help her, and her mother had taken a temporary leave of absence from work to support Emily and Bay; Clyde had also flown to D.C. for a few nights to be with her and Bay, yet, she still felt alone. Max had called a couple of times to check on Bay, and Emily knew he would always be concerned about Bay even if they weren't together, but it wasn't the same. He wasn't Bay's father, and he would never understand what Emily was going through.

The truth was Emily felt Bay's real father would never care for her, he would never give a damn about his little girl, and she felt he still hated Emily so much, and he always would. She had been at the BAU several times, but he hadn't even bothered to speak to her, nor had he bothered to call her. She knew they weren't friends, and it wasn't as if he was obligated to come see her or care for her, but everyone on the team had stopped by to visit her and her baby girl at the hospital, so she was certain he knew she was back, and that he also knew her daughter was sick. Emily would have thought that out of courtesy he would have stopped by to at least give her his condolences. But no, he couldn't really care less, apparently, he was already living a nice life...she had even heard from the girls he was dating, so obviously Emily had never meant anything to him. Emily wanted to tell him so badly that Bay was his real daughter, and she had spent days, no...she had spent weeks trying to figure out a way to tell him he had a daughter, but she knew deep inside her that he didn't care, and he would want nothing to do with their beautiful baby girl, and to be honest, she felt he didn't really deserve her. He now had a girlfriend and a life, and Emily and Bay meant nothing to him; besides, Emily had way too many problems and stress to even deal anymore with him. Maybe it was wrong, but she had realized Bay didn't need him, she had her, and Emily was willing to do anything within her power for her daughter, even if it meant her own life.

One morning, after Emily was finished helping Bay take a shower and change into new clothes, she received a very odd call. The very same Section Chief Erin Strauss called her. Apparently, she had heard Emily was back in town, and she would be delighted to meet with her. Strauss had always treated Emily very professionally and kindly while Emily was at the BAU, and although everyone hated the section chief, at least Strauss treated her better than her direct boss, so Emily had no complaints about her whatsoever. Emily simply thought Strauss had heard about her being back in D.C. and about her daughter being ill and wanted to offer her condolences; however, she was stunned when the section chief told Emily there was an opening at the BAU, and she wanted to see if Emily would be interested in the position. Emily was speechless...she didn't know what to say, and honestly, she wasn't sure if she wanted her old job back. She still loved the BAU and her friends were there, and she had loved her job and the up and downs that came with it, but there was a reason why she had left the BAU, the very same reason why she didn't want to respond to Strauss right away, and that reason was Aaron Hotchner...she wasn't sure if she could work with him again...she wasn't sure if she was even ready to face him again...hell, she didn't even think she wanted to even see him again in her life. So, she told Strauss she needed time to think about it, and she would give her an answer by the end of the week.

Emily decided to just think about it for the rest of the week, but for now, she wanted to take care of a few errands, she was trying to find a school for Bay where she could go with her condition only causing a small impact. It wasn't as if Bay had to be permanently in the hospital...she only had to stay there a few nights for the treatments, but she could still go home a few nights, and Emily asked Dr. Bergman if she could take Bay to school, since she didn't want to have her daughter miss anymore days of school. Dr. Bergman recommended a few schools to her where other kids with similar diseases attended, where she could enroll Bay, and she could have the attention she needed. So, that night she left Bay at the hospital, when normally she wouldn't leave her alone; the team had just gotten back from a case, and her mother had to take care of a few errands so neither of them could stay with her. As a diplomat, she had to take care of many things even when she was on a leave of absence. Dr. Bergman told Emily not to worry about Bay, she was in the hospital and there were many nurses and doctors who were in charge of her; he would make sure she was with someone at all times, and after all, Emily just needed to be away for a few hours. Bay had just closed her eyes for a nap as Emily left, and she was hoping she would be back before Bay woke up. Emily rushed to finish her errands hoping to be back soon to take care of her baby girl.

Aaron Hotchner walked into the hospital around seven that evening not knowing what room the little girl was in, and he wasn't sure if her mother was there. He knew he shouldn't be there, and he could get in serious trouble is he was caught, but he really needed to do this, but he just didn't know why. Aaron had several dreams about this little girl, plus, he was having trouble sleeping at night because all he did was think about her. It was so weird and disturbing to him, but after several weeks, he finally had the guts to visit her. He had wanted to visit her ever since he had found out she was in Washington, he was just not sure why. Everyone on the team was always talking about this beautiful and precious girl, he simply had been very curious to meet her, it was weird, yes, and he would probably look like a child molester going to visit a child he didn't know, but he couldn't help himself. He reasoned it out that the little girl was the daughter of the woman he had been in love with for the past seven years, the woman he still was in love with. Even if that woman hated him and wanted nothing to do with him, he cared about her, he always had, and when he heard her little girl was severely ill, he wanted to do something to help Emily but he knew she would never take anything that came from him. Still, he wanted to do something for her, even if he had to do it behind her back. So, he did what he never thought he would do, he sneaked into the hospital to visit Emily's daughter.

He had seen the little girl in pictures in JJ's office and on Morgan's desk, but it wasn't the same, he just wanted to meet the little girl from the woman who had stolen his heart, and the woman of whom he could not stop thinking. Ever since he had found out Emily was coming home, he had not stopped thinking about her, he simply couldn't get her out of his head...he had even been dreaming about her, about that night they had shared, he simply couldn't get Emily Prentiss out of his head.

So, he walked inside the children's hospital, after having overheard Penelope talking to Emily where Emily had informed the technical analyst she had a few errands to run and she would have to leave Bay alone in the hospital. It was just the opportunity Hotch had been waiting for. Aaron asked at the nurse's station for Bay's room, hating to have to show his FBI credentials to get himself in; he knew it was a secure hospital; and they would just not let any stranger walk in and visit the children. So, he flashed his badge and a nice nurse took him directly to the little girl's room.

When they walked in the room, the little girl was lying in the bed watching a movie, looking completely immersed in the film.

"Hi, Bay, you have a visitor." Nurse Adams said, smiling at the little girl. Bay stopped paying attention to the film to face Aaron, and for some reason, he felt a flutter of butterflies in his stomach when she looked him directly in his eyes. Bay was everything he had dreamed her to be. She was absolutely and utterly beautiful with black curly hair and dark chocolate brown eyes. She reminded him of someone, but he wasn't sure who it was...it was funny, though, she kind of reminded him of his mother.

"Hi, Bay, I'm Michael." Aaron said...he didn't want to introduce himself by his first name because he was sure Emily would find out he was there, and he didn't want to make her hate him more, so he gave Bay his middle name, because he was positive Emily didn't know what his middle name was.

"Hi, I'm Bay." The little girl stated shyly looking at him with curious eyes. The nurse smiled and left them alone, something Aaron was thankful for.

"Who are you?" Bay asked again, knowing her mother had asked her not to ever talk to strangers.

"My name is Michael, and I'm your friend. I have a son who's little like you." Hotch said, smiling at her.

"Is your son sick, too?" Bay asked.

"No, but I think you would like him." Aaron said, pulling a chair closer to the bed.

"I brought you something if that is okay with you." Aaron said, placing the stuffed animal he had been holding in his hands onto the table in front of Bay.

"A horse!" Bay cried happily. "I love horses." Bay smiled widely, revealing those beautiful dimples. Aaron sat there open-mouthed, astonished.

"You do? Well, this is a special horse, do you know what kind of horse it is?" Aaron asked, smiling even wider.

"Yes, it's a bay horse, I know all the horse types!" Bay said, sitting up in the bed hugging the horse.

"Yes, a bay horse just like your name, you have a pretty name."

"My name is also Arian, Bay Arian." Another larger set of butterflies fluttered around in his stomach. What was it about this little girl, that smile, and then her name...for a second, his mind flew away. What could have happened if Emily had stayed with him, if that little girl was his and not the other man's daughter...what if?

"That is a very pretty name, Bay, so, do you like your new horse?" Aaron asked, coming out of his mind's wandering.

"It's beautiful, horses are my favorite thing in the whole wide world. Have you ever seen a real horse?" Bay asked, playing with the horse on her lap.

"Actually, I have, I used to ride horses when I was a kid."

"You did?" Bay asked with wide eyes, fascinated.

"Yes, they are pretty amazing animals." Hotch said, not being able to take his eyes off the little girl.

"I want to ride a real horse." She said happily.

"Well, maybe when you feel a little better, I can take you to see them, maybe we can even get you to ride a little one."

"Really, you can take me to see a real horse!?" Bay cried happily.

"Yes, but only when you are stronger and you feel better, okay?" Aaron reasoned.

"Okay." She stayed quiet for a few seconds, then her curiosity got the best of her.

"Michael, how do you know my name and everything." Bay asked curiously.

"Well, one of the doctors told me there was a beautiful girl that was here and was sick, and that she loved horses, and I just wanted to meet you." He replied to her and smiled.

"I think you're cool." She smiled.

"You do?" She nodded.

"Well, do you think we can be friends?"

"Okay." She politely shook his hand, smiling. He was simply mesmerized with this little girl. She was a clone of Emily...she was smart, beautiful, she had those gorgeous eyes, and those dimples...those dimples that made him wonder so many things.

Aaron stayed with Bay for a little while, they talked and even finished watching the movie together. He wanted to spend the night with fascinating little girl, what was it about her that made him feel differently, Aaron had fallen in love with her the minute he had seen her, and he really wanted to stay longer, but he knew he couldn't. Emily would be back soon and she would kill him if she found him there visiting her daughter. So, he left telling Bay goodbye and promising her he would come back to see her. He placed a kiss on her forehead left...the problem was, something had changed in that visit, something that made him feel weird, he just didn't know what it was.

A while later, Emily returned from running her errands...she was very worried about leaving Bay alone for those hours and all she wanted to do was hold her in her arms. When she walked into her daughter's room, Dr. Bergman was with Bay in the room doing a routine check up on the little girl.

'Hello, Dr. Bergman, I'm sorry if I took longer than I planned to be." She apologized, walking in the room.

"Mommy," Bay sat up in the bed reaching her arms for her mother. Emily immediately approached her and pulled the little girl into her arms. Dr. Bergman smiled.

"It's okay, she's been an angel, right Bay?" He asked as he placed the stethoscope on Bay's chest to check her heart, as Emily sat on the edge of the bed next to her daughter.

"Is she okay?" Emily asked with concern.

"She's doing great, the first round of chemo worked well, her heartbeat is strong, you have one strong little girl." Dr. Bergman smiled widely, and made Emily smile, too. She turned to face her daughter and placed a kiss on her head, that was all that mattered to her, no matter how hard and rough her day had been knowing that her daughter was doing great was the best thing she could hear.

Bay smiled, too, and took the television remote switching through the cartoon channels. Emily smiled and ran her hand playfully through her daughter's curly hair, it was then she became aware of the stuffed horse sitting on her bedside table.

"How did that get here, Bay?" She asked, pointing at the horse, while Dr. Bergman was still performing a checkup on her daughter.

"Oh, that's mine, my horse." Bay pointed out, hugging the stuffed animal to her chest.

"Do you want to explain to mommy how the horse got here?" Emily asked, making her daughter look at her.

"Michael gave it to me." Bay explained.

"Michael? Who is Michael?" Emily asked in shock.

"He's my friend, mommy, he came to visit me today, and he likes horses, too, he rode horses when he was a kid." Bay smiled.

"What! Someone was here?" Emily asked terrified, turning to look at Dr. Bergman.

"It was probably one of the nurses in charge...they tend to do this kind of thing for kids, especially when they are new. They just want to make them feel good and welcome." Dr. Bergman said, running a thumb over Bay's cheek.

"Was he a nurse, Bay? The guy that gave you the horse?" Emily asked, and Bay just shrugged her shoulders, her eyes back on the television.

"I wouldn't worry about it...I'm sure it was one of the nurses, we have very strict security here. I would have know if someone came by." Dr. Bergman said soothingly to Emily.

"Okay, thanks for everything." Emily smiled.

"Absolutely, I will order another blood test in the morning for her to see where her blood levels are." Emily nodded in agreement.

"Have a good night." He said, walking out of the room.

Emily took care of bathing Bay and putting her to sleep after the nurses delivered her dinner. She stood next to her until Bay fell asleep. When she finally did fall asleep, Emily tried to relax, she walked toward the window of the hospital, staring at the quiet night. Everything seemed so much smaller from where she was standing. They were on the 26th floor of the hospital, and she just stood there looking out the window at the rainfall. She knew she was doing everything in her power for her baby girl, and all her decisions were made to foster her daughter's well being. That was why she had made another decision...she would return to the BAU, she would take the position Strauss had offered her!


	12. Chapter 12

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 12: Heartbroken

If you had asked Emily what would be the least possible thing happening in her life, returning to the BAU would be that. She had left for a reason, she had run away because she hated it there...well, that wasn't the complete truth...she didn't hate it, she hated a certain someone, but even that was a lie. The fact of the matter was she had left that job for a reason, the very same reason that had made her make the decision to return: Aaron Hotchner, only this time, she returned with a big secret, and she wasn't sure when or how she would be able to reveal that secret. But, Emily knew she needed to be close by him, she just prayed that God would give her the strength to face him and tell him the truth. She didn't know when or how she would do it, but at some point she knew she had to, so her first move was to return to the BAU and maybe build a relationship with him even if it was just professionally, but at least it would be something, then she would find a way to tell him. For now, returning to the BAU was good enough. As she stood inside one of the elevators of the BAU, she could feel her hands shaking, she was truly nervous since no one knew of her return, not even her closest friends. She hadn't really wanted it that way, but Strauss had insisted it was necessary; Strauss told her that she would brief her that morning and then inform the team of her return, and they could carry on with their usual briefing of cases. Emily smoothed her hair nervously, as she had made sure her personal appearance was very professional, and she wanted to look her best as she greeted the team. Perhaps there was another reason she wanted to look more than just professional, but she wasn't going to admit it, even to herself. Emily was wearing a dark brown suit with a pencil skirt, a nice light beige top and beige heels that matched the shirt...she look very professional, but slightly sexy. As the elevator doors opened, she took a deep breath, she had to do this...she knew she had to do this for her Bay. She stepped out of the elevator and walked toward the section chief's office. Emily knocked on the door softly and heard the 'come in' behind the door.

"Good morning, Ma'am." She said nervously, when she realized the Director of the BAU was also in there.

"Agent Prentiss, Good Morning, come on in, please." Strauss said, smiling widely. Emily smiled and stepped in.

"You remember Director Crammer, right Agent Prentiss?" Strauss asked, smiling.

"Yes, it's a pleasure to see you again, Sir." Emily shook the Director's hand.

"It's a pleasure to have you back, Agent." Director Crammer said, smiling at her.

"Well, Erin, I'll let the two of you debrief. I'll be in my office if you need anything." He said, standing up.

"Thanks, Tom. I'll be down as soon as I finish with Agent Prentiss, and I take her to the team." Strauss said, walking the Director to the door as Emily sat down across from Strauss's desk.

"After we're done here, I'll take you down to finish your paperwork and for you to get your badge and gun, then I'll take you to the team. By the time you're finished, they'll be meeting to talk about the new case." Strauss returned to her desk.

"That sounds good, Ma'am." Emily said nervously.

"Agent Prentiss, it's a privilege to have you back, you have no idea how happy this makes me." When Strauss smiled at her, her smile made Emily somewhat uncomfortable, and Emily didn't know why. Strauss wasn't very well-liked around the BAU, but she was genuinely nice to Emily, she always had been, and while she knew that Strauss's attitude toward her might have something to do with the fact that Emily's mother was an important ambassador, Emily knew she could be tricky and sneaky sometimes, and for that reason alone she felt uncomfortable.

When they were finished in Strauss's office, they both went down to make sure Emily had completed all the paperwork necessary for her position; there was more paperwork than usual, but Strauss just told her it was protocol, Emily also realized her salary was much higher than she was expecting and even higher than her salary once was, but then Strauss told her it was a raise, and they had changed things around. After she took her pictures for her badge and got her glock along with everything else she needed to be able to work in the field and be safe, they returned to the elevators to go to the floor where the team and her old desk was. She was really hoping she could get the same desk she once had because she wanted to be near her friends, and she also hoped things could be the same way they were when she was there. She knew the girls will be insulted for her not telling them she was coming back, but Strauss had begged her not to say a word because she also wanted it to be a surprise. So, when they arrived at the sixth floor, Emily could feel her heart start beating a thousand times a minute, and her hands started shaking too; she wasn't sure she was ready for this. She had not seen Aaron in a very long time, well, she had, but he had pretended she wasn't even there the few times she stopped at the BAU, so basically the last time she had even said a word with him, was the night they slept together. Goddammit! Why did she have to think about that night just now, her mind started playing with her, and she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to concentrate. They stepped in the doors and started walking through the bullpen, old memories sifting through her head; none of the guys were around or even the girls, but then again, they would probably be in the conference room by now. As they walked by her old desk, Emily couldn't stop the small smile that escaped her face. She was back, and although it wasn't under the best circumstances, she was glad she was back...she missed everyone, she truly did, and she exhaled, convincing herself she had made the right decision, just as they stopped outside of the conference room and Strauss knocked on the door softly.

The entire team was gathered around the round table in the conference room...they all knew they needed to discuss the case, but Hotch had also said Strauss was going to stop by and make an announcement; that probably explained his grumpy behavior that morning, and the team could feel the tension. The truth was there had been a lot of tension at the BAU lately, Strauss and Hotch had always hated each other, but over the last few months that hatred had intensified; they had gotten into several altercations and none of them had ended well. They all knew Strauss wanted Hotch out of the BAU, not because he wasn't a good Agent, but because he was much too good as a competition for her. Everyone knew very well Strauss eyes were on the position of Director of the BAU one day, but they also knew there were whispers and rumors and everyone believed Hotch would get the position before Strauss did, and she desperately wanted him out of the way. Therefore, every time she had an opportunity, she tried to use it to get Hotch out of the BAU, and nothing had really worked so far, because the directors really liked Hotch; however, over the last couple of weeks, there had been a lot of problems with the Unit Chief. Even the team was surprised, Hotch had been acting recklessly on cases and going against protocol...hell, he had even walked into a gunman situation without a Kevlar or a gun, and he had truly put his life at risk several times. Strauss wanted him fired on the spot, but the directors had opposed that; they had suggested a temporary suspension instead, not from the team but from his current position, and even Hotch had agreed that the best way to keep the team together was if he stepped down and then promote internally again, something the directors approved. Hotch suggested Morgan take over his spot, but Strauss had refused that claiming she would find a temporary substitute, so they allowed Hotch to stay in his current position until they found him a substitute; so things had been very stressful at the BAU for everyone. When they heard the knock on the door, everyone had tensed suddenly, exchanging looks with each other.

"Sorry to interrupt, I just have an announcement to make." She said, as Emily walked in behind her. Everyone was in shock when they saw the brunette, everyone...even the unit chief.

"I'm sure everyone remembers Agent Prentiss, right? She will be returning to work with us effective immediately." Strauss said firmly, addressing everyone.

There was shock and a few gasps coming from the team, but they quickly turned to smiles, at least in JJ's, Penelope, Derek, Reid and Dave's case. They knew they couldn't say much to her with Strauss there, so they refrained and just smiled widely...except for one person, of course.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but I don't think we need any more profilers on the team...we're at full capacity as it is." Hotch said, glaring at Strauss, avoiding Emily's eyes. She could feel her heartache knowing he still hated her as much as he always had.

"Actually, she won't be profiling, well, she will, but Agent Prentiss returned to take over the Unit Chief's position, so effective immediately, you're no longer in charge of the team Agent Hotchner, she is." Strauss dropped the bomb and with that, everyone's mouth dropped...even Emily's.

"What!?" She asked, looking at Strauss aghast.

"I beg your pardon?" Hotch said, standing up from the chair he was sitting in, unable to say anything else.

"You heard me, Agent Hotchner, Agent Prentiss will be the new Unit Chief starting today, do I need to remind you that you have been temporarily demoted, and we were waiting to find a substitute, well, we found her. So, that's all that needs to be said." Strauss said harshly.

"Ma'am, can I have a word with you?' Emily said, interrupting.

"Is there a problem, Agent Prentiss?" Strauss asked rudely.

"Yes, no, well, I just really need to talk to you in private." Emily said nervously...she could feel the eyes of everyone on the team on her, everyone was in shock. Strauss looked at her, and it was obvious she wasn't very pleased, but she stepped out of the conference room with Emily.

"What is the matter, Agent Prentiss?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's just, I, when you offered me the job, you told me I would be profiling. I was expecting to be doing my old job." Emily was furious, Strauss had set her up, she had never ever mentioned that she would be taking over Hotch's job, otherwise, Emily would never have accepted the job.

"No, Agent Prentiss, I asked you to return to work for the BAU, I never said what your position would be, if you didn't ask and just assumed, that is on you, not on me." Strauss said, looking at her firmly.

"But..." Emily started.

"Agent Prentiss, I hope you understand I just wasted half of my morning bringing you back, and I don't need to remind you that you signed a contract with the BAU not less than half hour ago, you have officially committed to the job, now if you will excuse me, I want to finish talking to the team and get back to work...something you also need to be doing." She added, walking away from Emily and returning to the conference room. Emily was aghast, she should have known better, she should have seen this coming. She cursed herself internally for trusting Strauss as she walked back into the conference room holding back the tears.

"I'll let you guys get comfortable with each other again, and you can take today to discuss things with your team, Agent Prentiss. You'll be flying out to your first case tomorrow. I'll send you those cases later today, now, if you'll please excuse me, I have work to do." She said, walking away. When she was at the door, she turned again to face everyone.

"One more thing...Agent Hotchner, if you will please empty your office so Agent Prentiss can get comfortable in there, I'll really appreciate it." With that, she turned around and walked away leaving everyone beyond shocked.

Emily stood there nervously without knowing what to say or do. She could feel her cheeks getting redder by the minute from the embarrassment. She was rooted to the spot, she had been set up, and now she was standing in front of the entire team feeling humiliated and without knowing what to say. The truth was the team didn't know what to say or do either, they were in the same shock as she was in. She glanced to see Hotch as he stood up angrily taking the files from the table and storming out of the conference room, sending her an evil glare as he walked by her.

"Hotch, wait, please..." She said, going after him and following him into his office. He angrily picked up some boxes and began throwing the contents of his office into the boxes.

"Hotch, I didn't know, I swear...she set me up, I didn't know." She said with a shaky voice.

"You couldn't stop yourself, could you?" He asked harshly.

"What?" What was he talking about.

"You saw the opportunity to finally take vengeance against me and you took it right away." Emily could see the anger and fire in his eyes.

"No, I didn't know, I swear when she called me she never mentioned this, I just thought I would get my job back. I thought you knew about this." She explained meekly.

"She finally convinced you to alienate against me, and you couldn't help yourself to see me taken down. Do you really hate me that much?" He asked harshly.

"No, what are you talking about? You need to listen to me, please." Emily explained.

"Why the hell did you even come back." Now, she could feel a stab in her heart, this wasn't fair, this wasn't fair at all.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Her voice was breaking.

"We were all fine without you, you were fine there, or wait! Did you manage to break someone else's heart and run away, because you're an expert at that." What the hell was he talking about, she didn't understand anything.

"Well, you can be happy now, you got what you wanted. Prentiss, or wait! Should I call you boss." He picked up the last boxes from his office.

"Hotch, wait...please." She tried to stop him.

"You should have never returned." And with that, he stormed out of the office leaving her alone standing in the office, with tears rolling down her face and a broken heart. She wanted to run, to disappear because this wasn't how she had expected things to go today, this wasn't how she wanted things to work at all. Emily wanted to get close to him so they could maybe become friends and one day maybe she could tell him that her little girl, her beautiful baby girl was his, he was the father of her daughter. But now, now he couldn't even stay in the same room as her, he had not stopped hating her and she was sure he would never stop. Maybe she had made a mistake by returning to the BAU, maybe he was right and she should have never returned.


	13. Chapter 13

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 13: I Am Not Over You

With Emily in the charge of the BAU, things went from being bad to being terribly bad between her and Hotch. No matter what Emily did it was the wrong thing; at first, she tried to get closer to him and apologized repeatedly, but he still acted like an ass with her. Hotch had managed to convince himself that Emily had purposely aligned herself with Strauss to take him down and to make him fall apart. Hotch had always hated Strauss, and he knew she would do whatever it took to get him out of the BAU, despite him being an excellent agent. Strauss had wanted to eliminate him for a very long time, and Hotch knew that very well, so he wasn't surprised because he knew Strauss was capable of anything, but what he had not expected was that she would use Emily to make that happen, and more importantly, that Emily would agree to it.

Well, he knew that Emily hated him, but he couldn't believe she would actually be willing to align herself against him, and that really hurt. This was officially the second time Emily had hurt him and it broke his heart. He couldn't understand why it hurt him so much...he could have taken this from anyone, but not from her. Hotch wasn't sure why it bothered him so much, but it did, and now, worst of all, he had to see her every day at work and she was in charge so whether he liked it or not, she was the boss and he had to follow her orders. Well...not really, because he had actually challenged her on a few occasions, something the team had been very aware of, they knew Hotch and Emily hated each other, but this was too much...they could see the cold front between their friends and that worried them, they simply couldn't understand why they hated each other so much.

Of course, the fact that Emily was now in charge of the BAU had been a huge surprise to everyone because honestly everyone had expected Morgan to be their leader. Emily had also thought Morgan would also hate her for being placed in that position instead of him, but actually, he had taken it very well; in fact, he was very happy for her, and he knew she deserved the position because of her skills and experience. The truth was everyone was happy for her because she was an excellent agent, and she was probably the perfect person for that job. JJ and Penelope were overjoyed with the news because their friend was back, and they had her closer than before. They had supported Emily in every decision she had made. The same was with Morgan and Reid...they had always thought highly of Emily and simply wanted the best for her. Dave was the one who thought this was the best decision Strauss had ever made. He knew Strauss was trying to take Hotch down, but he also knew that the Bureau would not allow her to do that, and honestly, Emily was the best choice on the team and in his opinion, the perfect person to take over the position. He knew Morgan was a great profiler and excellent human being, but Morgan made many reckless decisions and sometimes let his heart win and let his personal emotions cloud his profiling decisions. Emily, however, was not only a great profiler, but she had lead other international offices, she spoke several languages, she was driven, determined and she had a very strong personality, so in his opinion, she was perfect for the job.

Honestly, he was right, Emily had already far outperformed the Directors' expectations with only three weeks as the Unit Chief; she had already put many aspects in order and managed to resolve five cases in three weeks...something that was considered a record, she was a natural leader, she did her job with professionalism and passion, and she had already been complimented by many detectives in the cases she had helped. Things were running smoother than usual. Strauss was beyond happy, so were the directors, and even Dave was amazed at how well Emily was running the team...in fact, he hated to admit it but she was doing an excellent job, even better Hotch had. Hotch was a great leader, of course, but Emily was just beyond impressive, even Hotch thought so, but obviously, he was never going to admit it. He just acted out of anger against her, and although he knew he was crossing the line with her regarding professionalism, he couldn't stop himself.

Emily had been patient enough in dealing with him; she knew he was angry and he had a rights to be, but she also knew that he owed her some kind of professional respect, and she truly hated to use the "I am the boss" card, but he was beginning to upset her, and she knew she was about to lose all her sense of decorum if he continued with his nasty attitude...and it happened before she expected it to.

The team had been in Pennsylvania on a case for a few days now, on the disappearance of a child. The eight-year-old boy had last been seen at school, his mother had reported him missing when he didn't return from school. Usually, children's cases were very difficult for the team, and they had to be extremely careful. The first few days, the team had been panicked trying to find the boy immediately, so an Amber Alert had been put out to everyone, and several search teams had been organized. But then, their investigation led them to believe that the boy had been kidnapped by his father, who had been considered a threat to the boy and his mother from the beginning. The father was a drug addict diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, and the judge had given full custody to the mother and had given the unsub very limited visitation with his son, but only with adult supervision.

After their investigation, one of the witnesses had testified that they had seen a truck pick up the boy from school, and after the witness met with a sketch artist, the team realized it was, indeed, the father who had kidnapped the child. Now, they were working against the clock and needed to take precautionary movements and be more careful than usual. After more hours of stress and waiting, they had finally located the unsub at an abandoned school, they had surrounded the area and were waiting for enough backup. They knew the unsub was armed and could be a threat to himself and the child. They had to wait for the exact moment to go in, and as the units surrounded the school, the team waited outside for that moment. This was a race against the clock, and they needed to act soon...the longer the child waited inside, the more his life was at risk.

"We have to find a way to go in, we can't wait for backup." Morgan said nervously, pacing around the patrol cars.

"Morgan, I know more than anyone that we need to go in there, but we have to wait until we get enough back up." Emily said firmly. The rest of the team was around, all anxious to go in because they knew there was a small child inside that was terrified and needed help.

"I'm not sure if you're aware of it, but we're running out of time here, there's no time to wait...we need to go in now!" Hotch told Emily, in a harsh voice in front of everyone.

"I'm very aware of the danger Matthew is in, but by going in now, we could also be putting his life at risk. We're not going in." Emily said firmly, and with a tone that left no room for discussion; she was also angry with him right now...he had been challenging her since they had arrived in Pennsylvania.

"We have many units, we have more than enough backup, what the hell are you waiting for!?" Hotch hissed angrily.

"I said, we're not going in, and that's the end of it." She told Hotch rudely, walking away from him...she knew better than anyone they needed to go in and every minute counted, but they also needed to wait for the SWAT team and the proper moment to go in, otherwise, the unsub could kill the boy and himself. Before Emily was aware of it happening, Hotch began running toward the school and many officers followed him.

"Hotch, what the fuck are you doing?" Dave asked, astonished, going after him, and before anyone else could act or respond, chaos started, and they had no other choice but to go in.

"Dammit!" Emily screamed angrily, running after the two profilers.

As soon as she stepped inside the school, she knew this was going to end badly. They had been working on convincing the unsub surrender, and they were getting close when Hotch decided to go in.

"Drop the gun!" She could hear Hotch screaming, so she ran as fast as she could, hearing a gunshot, and her heart started to beat a thousand times a minute.

When she finally arrived at where the rest of the team was, her eyes landed on the scene in front of her, the child was in a corner of the room, terrified and crying, there were at least twenty other officers pointing their guns at whom Emily assumed was the unsub, and the unsub was on the floor dead, supposedly having committed suicide.

"Dammit, Hotch, I told you not to go in!" Emily screamed angrily...she knew she was going to have to be the responsible one for this and explain to the bureau what had happened.

Hotch just walked away from her, glaring at her evilly, and walking out of the school.

The case was over, and although they had saved the child, they had lost the life of the unsub. Yes, he was a bad guy, but this was not how they had wanted to end this case, no life should have been lost, and she was so angry. She knew they could have saved the child and arrested the unsub if they had waited until the SWAT team had gotten there and they had continued to negotiate with him, but Hotch had to screw up just to piss her off and now, someone was dead, and it was all going to be her fault.

Once the LEOs had cleared everything and the coroner had picked taken custody of the body, the team returned to the police station. Emily was talking to Detective Patterson, apologizing for the thousandth time about the outcome of the case; the Detective wasn't as angry as Emily had expected him to be; he was happy the child was alive, even if they had lost the unsub. Of course, for Emily, it was harder now because she had to explain to the Bureau why they had lost a life, since they didn't care if it was a criminal...they just cared about protocol, and this was going to be on her.

The rest of the team was gathering at the small room where they had been discussing the case; they were clearing everything from the room and packing files into boxes to take back to Quantico, and they were very ready to go home. When Emily stepped in, they knew they needed to get out of there and get out of there soon. By the look on her face she was beyond mad, and they didn't want to be there when she ripped Hotch's head off. Everyone stepped out of the room and left her and Hotch alone; she walked in closing the door behind her as Hotch pretended that he was picking up files and avoided looking at her.

"What the hell is the matter with you! I told you not to go in!" Emily hissed angrily, she was so mad she was shaking.

"There was no time Prentiss, we had to save..."

"Don't give me that bullshit!" Emily screamed louder, taking Hotch aback.

"The SWAT was working on making him surrender, they had everything under control." She said, running her hand through her hair, knowing she needed to calm down.

"I needed to save the boy...that was my priority." Hotch said coldly.

"And you think ours wasn't? This is why we had to act with more precautions than usual, to save that boy."

"The boy is fine, I don't see the problem." Hotch knew he had made a mistake, but he wasn't going to admit it.

'That's your answer to me, someone is dead because of your freaking ego, and now I have to respond because of your reckless actions." Emily spat back.

Hotch just shook his head...that was what this was about...looking good in front of Strauss.

"So, this is what you care about...looking good in the eyes of the Bureau?" He couldn't stop himself.

"You know what, I'm so tired of your attitude, you can believe whatever the hell you want, but here at work you have to respect me when I give you an order whether you like it or not! You're suspended for a week!" Emily said firmly.

"What? You can't suspend me!" Hotch said incredulously.

"I can and I am, or if you would like, I can let Strauss handle this directly. I'm sure she would be delighted to know why the unsub committed suicide." With that, Emily walked out of the room walking towards the SUV without looking back. Hotch just stood there fuming...he hated her so much. As he watched her say final goodbyes to the Detectives, he couldn't help but notice they were flirting with her and that sent fire through his veins...the question was: did he really hate her?

A few weeks later, the tension between them grew even stronger. Hotch was still pissed off that Emily had dared to suspend him; he was furious, he didn't want to let it show, but it was quite evident, but one thing he had learned was that he had to become more respectful with Emily. Even though he hated her, he knew that his job would be in jeopardy and honestly, deep inside, he knew he had messed up and she had been right to suspend him because he would have done the same thing. He also knew whether he liked it or not, she was in charge and he had no choice but to respect that, so he decided to put his anger aside and act professionally, but it was costing him every single inch of his will.

On top of that, there was something else that had been bothering him, and it wasn't the fact that she had suspended him. As weeks passed by and they took more cases, he became aware of the closeness that had been going on between her and Dave, as the two leaders of the team, they quietly spent a lot of time together, whether it was in meetings, or discussing budgets, or cases, or simply team issues, but the two of them spent a great deal of time together. Hotch knew there were obvious reasons for them to spend more time than usual together, but it really bothered him and he didn't even know why. Thinking about it, maybe he hated the fact that Dave didn't spend as much time with him as they used to...after all, Dave was one of his best friends. Or, maybe it was the fact that Dave supported her in every decision, and that pissed him off. Or, maybe it was the fact that she and Dave had become very close friends, closer than usual.

Emily was very close to everyone on the team...why wouldn't she, she had an amazing personality and everybody looked up to her. She and Morgan had always been great friends, Reid saw her as a big sister, and JJ and Penelope were basically her best friends. With Dave, it had been different...before she returned, hell, before she had even left, she got along well with Dave, and they hung out together every once in awhile, but the majority of those times the whole team was there. It was usually him and Dave that were always together, and now basically Dave spent all his time with her. When they weren't at work, he was visiting her daughter at the hospital; he had basically become an emotional support for her. Emily often came to Dave when she had questions about work; Hotch would have thought it would make more sense to ask Hotch himself since he had been the Unit chief for many years, but no, she went straight to Dave and that bothered him, it bothered him that everyone loved her and thought she was doing great, it bothered him that Dave, out of all people had become closer to her. He hated the way she smiled when she was with him, he hated that it was him who got to take her out for lunch meetings and occasionally coffee and even dinner. He hated that Dave could make her laugh, and he could make her feel better so easily and it bothered him that she seemed to enjoy being around him as much as she did.

That afternoon, the team had been at Quantico with a lot of paper work, and they had been busy all day doing reports. Hotch hated to be sitting all day in a cubicle completing stupid reports, while Emily and Dave had been in the next office all day doing God knows what...he couldn't stop his blood from boiling when he sent glares to the office wondering what the hell they could be doing in there. Didn't she have work to do, wasn't she supposed to be doing reports, too, and evaluating the team's work instead of doing whatever the hell she was doing in there with Dave? A few minutes later, the door opened and Dave came out followed by Emily, they were both laughing in a way that made him uncomfortable as they walked down to the bullpen, and he could hear them talking about some play happening in town this Friday. He knew Emily loved plays especially when they were opera.

"If we're in town that night, I promise you I'll take you to see Rigoletto...it's one of the most famous operas that has ever been performed." Dave chatted while smiling.

"I'll hold you to that, although I'm not sure I want to leave Bay alone any more than I already do." She said amiably.

"Come on, just this one time, I promise you the next day we can take Bay to the circus since she has been dying to go." Dave insisted.

"Fine, but only if we're in town that night." Emily agreed.

"Where are you two going?" Morgan asked, getting his head away from the paperwork for a few minutes.

"Lunch, I'm starving, do you want to go?" Emily asked.

"No, thanks, bring me something, will you? I haven't finished my report, and my boss can be a pain in the ass." He teased.

"Very funny, you're lucky I won't make you finish the whole stack today." Emily teased back.

Morgan just laughed, making a mocking action with his hand as if he was shooting himself making both Dave and Emily laugh as they walked toward the doors.

Hotch just stood there looking angrily at them, thinking, _'great, now they were going to have a lunch date, wasn't she supposed to be focusing on paperwork and reports, and here she was running off to have lunch with him'_ , he was so angry he couldn't help himself. _'What the hell was wrong with her, how could she just leave with Dave like that, didn't she not have any respect for the rules. What about the fraternization rules'_ , all of a sudden his head started going somewhere he didn't want, picturing them together as a couple, and he couldn't stop the anger rushing through his veins, damn Emily Prentiss, he hated her. He banged his fist angrily against his desk making Morgan jump.

"What the hell, man, are you okay?" Morgan asked, worried.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I just messed up my report." Hotch replied, his eyes back on the report.

"Well, be careful, man, you don't want to end up suspended again, now do you?" Morgan teased the ex-Unit Chief.

"You are not funny, Morgan...and mind your own business, will you!" Hotch snapped, and stood up from the desk, walking away. Morgan didn't know what the hell was wrong with Hotch, but he figured he was still mad because of the suspension.

Later that night, Emily was still working on paper work in her office, she was trying to get out of there as soon as possible, because she needed to go see her baby girl at the hospital. Her mother had helped her so much with Bay lately and had stayed with her when Emily had to work and be away, but Emily felt terrible, hating to leave her baby girl alone especially being sick. So, she was working as fast as she could so she could get out of there and go see Bay. She was looking through the last case, when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." She said, standing up, and to her surprise Hotch walked in.

"I figured you wanted this before you left." Hotch said, showing her the files he had been working on.

"That's great, thank you." Emily's face was solemn.

She walked around the desk and picked up her briefcase; he was the last person she wanted to see and she wanted to get out of there.

"May I speak to you about something?" He asked, without being able to control himself.

"Actually, I'm on my way out, but if this is about the suspension again, I've already said everything I needed to say." Emily said, picking up the files he had given her and placing them in her briefcase; she would go through all the files her team submitted while she was at the hospital.

"It's not about that, I just...think you need to be careful with what you're doing." Hotch knew he didn't have the right to do this, but he couldn't stop himself.

"With what I am doing? What exactly are you referring to?" Emily asked, surprised.

"There are fraternization rules in the office, something that you as the leader of the team should respect." His tone was harsh and cold.

"Excuse me?! What in the hell are you talking about?" Now, she was starting to get pissed off.

Hotch watched as her face turned bright red, her hair down in curls, the black dress suit accenting every one of her curves, her chest barely exposed, her sweet and powdery intoxicating fragrance, her plump lips. Damn, the woman was exquisite. Then, a new feeling overwhelmed his body. The thought of Dave's hands roaming that gorgeous body.

"All I'm saying is that if you're going to be sleeping with Dave, you should be more discreet about it," ...and before he could finish, Emily slapped him hard across the face, taking him totally by surprise.

"What the fuck do you think you're talking about, you can't talk to me like that!" She hissed now, and she was so furious, he could see her hands shaking.

"Come on, just admit that you're dating him." He said, upset.

'Not that I have to give you any explanations about my personal life, but there is nothing going on between Dave and I, and the next time you talk to me like that, you will be suspended indefinitely!" She said, her face inches from him...she wanted to slap him again...no, she wanted to kill him.

Hotch didn't know exactly how it happened, but the next thing he knew, he had grabbed her firmly by the waist and pulled her against him, crushing his lips against her mouth, kissing her fiercely. He didn't know what the hell was he doing or why...all he knew was that he wasn't over her.


	14. Chapter 14

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 14: Encountered Feelings

Later that night, Emily was still working on paper work in her office and was trying to get out of there as soon as possible, since she needed to go see her baby girl at the hospital. Her mother had helped her so much with Bay lately and had stayed with her that night, but Emily felt terrible. She hated to leave her baby girl alone especially with her being so sick, so she was working as fast as she could to get out of there and go see Bay. She was looking through the last case, when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." Emily said, standing up and to her surprise, Hotch walked in.

"I figured you wanted this before you left." Hotch said, showing her the files he had been working on.

"That's great, thank you." Emily's face was solemn.

She walked around the desk and picked up her briefcase; he was the last person she wanted to see and she wanted to get out of there.

"May I speak to you about something?" He asked, without being able to control himself.

"Actually, I'm on my way out, but if this is about the suspension again, I've already said everything I needed to say." Emily said, picking up the files he had given her and placing them in her briefcase...she would go through all the files her team submitted while she was at the hospital.

"It's not about that, I just...think you need to be careful with what you are doing." Hotch knew he didn't have the right to do this, but he couldn't stop himself.

"With what I'm doing? To what exactly are you referring?" Emily asked, surprised.

"There are fraternization rules in this office, something that you as the leader of the team should respect." His tone was harsh and cold.

"Excuse me, what in the hell are you talking about!?" Now, she was starting to get really pissed off.

Hotch watched as her face turned bright red, her hair down in curls, the black dress suit accenting every one of her curves, her chest barely exposed, her sweet and powdery intoxicating fragrance, her plump lips. Damn the woman was exquisite. Then a new feeling overwhelmed his body. The thought of Dave's hands roaming that gorgeous body was making his blood boil.

"All I'm saying is that if you're going to be sleeping with Dave, you should be more discreet about it," and before he could finish, he was slapped hard across the face...needless to say, he had been taken by surprise.

"What the fuck do you think you are talking about! You can't talk to me like that!" Emily hissed...now she was so furious, Hotch could see her hands shaking.

"Come on, just admit that you're dating him." He said, upset.

'Not that I have to give you any explanations about my personal life, but there is nothing going with between Dave and I, and the next time you talk to me like that, you will be suspended indefinitely!" Emily told him, her face inches from his. She wanted to slap him again...no, she wanted to kill him.

Hotch didn't know exactly how it happened, but the next thing he knew, he grabbed Emily firmly by the waist and pulled her against him, crushing his lips against her mouth kissing her fiercely. He didn't know what the hell was he doing or why he was doing it, but all he knew was that he wasn't over her.

He held her firmly to him as he kissed her passionately tasting her soft, sweet lips again, bringing so many memories back to his mind. He was so angry that he couldn't control himself...he was crazy jealous about Dave and the relationship he and Emily had built, and although he, too, was in a relationship of sorts, he couldn't stop himself. Hotch knew he didn't love Beth, he truly never had, in fact, he wasn't sure he had ever stopped loving Emily. Right now, he simply couldn't hide those feelings anymore.

Emily was caught by surprise and wasn't able to react in time to stop him, so the next thing she knew, he was kissing her fiercely and she needed to stop him...although her mind was screaming something else.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" She hissed angrily, gasping for air. She tried to push him away from her, but he held her firmly.

"Let go of me, Hotch...get off me." She screamed, as she tried to free herself from his firm grasp.

"What the hell do you see in him anyway, he is not your type." Hotch said, as he ran his thumb over her check tenderly. Emily froze as her heart started beating a thousand beats a minute.

"I'm not dating Dave, and that's none of your damn business anyway, let me go, Hotch, now!" Emily tried again to push him away from her, but he was holding her too tightly, and maybe she wasn't trying too hard to begin with.

"Have you ever thought about that night, the night I made you mine, because I have never forgotten that night?" He asked, looking at her so deeply that it made her uncomfortable.

He once again captured her mouth and this time he pushed her against the desk; luckily he had closed and locked the door behind him, and the blinds of the office were already closed, plus it was very late and there was no one left in the office. Hotch grabbed Emily's waist and pushed her against the desk while his mouth devoured her. Emily once again tried to push him away, but it was almost impossible...she was losing this battle, and she was sure the end wasn't going to be a good one.

"Hotch, stop...you need to stop this, please." Emily said, almost pleading with him. He looked at her with fire in his eyes and ignored her statement as his hand moved to unbutton the top of her black dress suit. They both knew it was too late to stop this, and the truth was they both wanted it...deep inside them. His hands moved down and started to roam against her legs and the next thing Emily knew, he had her on top of her desk, her dress half open. Her lace demi bra was pushed aside exposing her breast, and her skirt was pushed up almost to her waist. His mouth was assaulting every inch of her body he could reach. He had already left a very bright red mark on her breast, and Emily knew this wasn't okay, she needed to stop him, they both could jeopardize their jobs.

"Aaron please. please stop." Emily said, in a whisper. Hotch silenced her by pressing a finger against her lips softly, then his hand moved between her legs stroking the soft fabric and feeling how wet she had gotten from his touch.

She closed her eyes, moaning softly, unable to contain herself as his mouth once again captured her lips, this time more forcefully than before, and Emily simply couldn't help herself...she let him kiss her and seduce her, and their kisses turned more passionate than before. She was so thankful that the blinds were closed and there wasn't anyone nearby because she was sure if anyone walked in at that moment, they would have both been fired on the spot. His rough hands started roaming against her thighs and her hands moved to undo his belt and unbuckle his pants, it was too late to stop this. Hotch literally ripped her underwear from her body, as his hand got comfortable between her legs, making her moan and whimper against his neck.

She undid his tie and opened his shirt enough to have access to his neck, and she started biting down on the skin there, when Hotch slid his finger inside her folds making her throw her head back in pleasure. Hotch stopped what he was doing and shoved all the contents of her desk on the floor...everything landed on the carpet, paper, pens, and files scattered everywhere, but neither of them cared. He gently leaned her against the desk as his mouth was back on her breast, and then he followed the way to her neck biting the soft skin not so gently and making her scream. Hotch was harder than he had ever been, and Emily could feel it against her...this wasn't how he wanted things to be when they were together again, but he simply couldn't stop himself, taking his hard member in his hand, he entered her a little roughly. Emily closed her eyes, whimpering at the feeling of him filling her, as he started moving in and out of her at a face pace, He leaned over her to capture her mouth, and now their tongues were battling for control and dominance, he grabbed her hips to keep her in place while his other hand played with her breasts. The last thing Emily would have imagined is that she would be on top of her desk with her legs wide open while Hotch fucked her hard and fast.

"Is this how you like it, hard and fast?" Hotch asked huskily, pulling her earlobe into his mouth.

"Oh God, Aaron." Emily whimpered, as he hit the right spot, throwing her head back giving him more access to her neck and breasts. He leaned forward again, capturing her nipple in his teeth and biting the tender skin softly. Emily could feel her walls contracting and her breath hitched. Aaron knew what was coming and he sped up his movements inside her...a few seconds later, she came arching her back so much she was sure her back would break.

"Oh, Jesus." She said, as she closed her eyes when her orgasm took over.

But, Hotch wasn't finished with her...he pulled her waist closer to him, diving deeper into her, Emily leaned on her elbows to support herself and their mouths met again in a powerful kiss. She bit his lips tasting the metal on her lips where she had bitten him hard enough to draw blood, making him grunt in her mouth.

"God, Emily, you feel so fucking good, you are so tight." He grunted, closing his eyes as they rode the wave. Soon his movements become more frantic, and he was slamming into her, and he could hear the noise of their moist skin smacking against each other, turning him on even more.

His rough hand moved to her clit stroking it as he could feel her walls contract again, against his hard member. The way she moaned drove him crazy; he wasn't sure what it was about this woman that made him feel like he was in heaven, he had never experienced this, she made him feel like his whole world was shaking, his head was spinning, it was an instant lightness on his body, he started breaking into a light sweat, it was an amazing experience. He couldn't even put it into words, and no woman had ever made him experience that. He had been with enough women to know what he liked, and one thing was sure, no woman had made him feel the way Emily Prentiss did when they were like this. He could feel the tingly feeling starting in his toes and the butterflies in his stomach...he could sense her second orgasm coming by the way she was whimpering and moving against him. He thrust harder into her, and soon they shared an unbelievably intense orgasm, Emily biting his shoulder a little roughly to stop herself from screaming too loudly, but he didn't give a dam. He, too, felt like screaming her name aloud. Emily felt the pulsation on her clit and everything went black for both of them while fireworks exploded.

A few seconds later as he remained inside her kissing her again, this time softly and sweetly. She returned the kiss and although they didn't say anything, they were both looking at each other, no words needed to be said, it was all in their eyes. As they both came down from their euphoria they kept kissing each other sweetly like they didn't want this to end. Finally, Hotch had the energy and enough oxygen to speak to her.

"Come home with me tonight, please, just spend the night with me." Hotch said softly, as he caressed her cheeks tenderly, still inside her.

"I can't, I have to go." Emily said, looking at him sadly. He finally pulled out of her waiting for more, waiting for a reason why she couldn't go with him.

"Please, Emily." He pressed one more kiss on her lips which she deepened pulling him closer.

"I really have to go, Bay is in the hospital, I can't, I have to go." She said as she started dressing herself again. She got down from the desk and dressed herself as quickly as she could; he did the same, and then he helped her straighten the office. All of a sudden she was uncomfortable, she wanted to get out of there, to disappear. They finished straightening everything in the office, then she smoothed her dress and her hair.

"I need to go, I'm late already." She said, taking her coat and putting it on in a rush. She was going to walk out of the office when he stopped her, blocking her way.

"Aaron, please." She begged, trying to move past him, but he pulled her into his arms again, kissing her until he left her breathless.

'No matter what you say, you can't deny that this didn't mean anything to you...that it never did." He pressed one soft kiss on her lips and walked out of the office.

Emily cursed herself internally as she watched him get in the elevator. She rushed out of the office, needing to get out of there...she couldn't believe what had just happened. Tears streamed down her face as she drove away in a rush, DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! What the hell was wrong with her, what the fuck had she just done, this was not only against every principle she had, but also against her job rules and regulations. She couldn't believe she had just had sex with Hotch on the top of her desk. How old was she, 18? God, she was so stupid, how could she have done that, how could she have let him seduce her. The worst part was that she had just realized something she had feared for a long time, she still cared for him, she was still in love with him.

About twenty minutes later, she arrived at the hospital; she really wanted to go home and take a shower and wash this night away but she knew her mother had been waiting at the hospital for a while now, and she was already late. She could only imagine what her mother would say when she found out where she had been, and what she had been doing. She walked into the room, and she was surprised to see JJ in there with her mother.

"Good Lord, Emily, where have you been, I've been crazy worried about you, you were supposed to be here an hour ago? Her mother reprimanded her like a small child.

"I know, I'm sorry, I got busy with a few cases at work and I lost track of time." She said dismissively, the last thing she wanted was to get into an argument with her mother.

"Hey, JJ, I didn't know you were here, or I would have come earlier." Emily smiled briefly.

"Hey, don't worry, I just wanted to see if there was something I could help with here. I know how much work you have at the office." JJ said brightly.

Emily turned to the bed where her daughter was peacefully sleeping.

"How long has she been sleeping?" She asked, running her hand over her sweet face and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"One hour...if you had been here when you said you were going to be, you would have known that!" The ambassador said harshly.

"Mother, please, not now." Emily begged.

The ambassador just scolded her and crossed her arms.

"I need to find Doctor Bergman, and I also need some coffee. Can you stay for a few more minutes, please?" She asked tiredly.

"Of course, Emily, she is my granddaughter. On the other hand, don't you think it's too late to be drinking coffee...perhaps you should find some tea." Elizabeth suggested.

Emily just groaned, irritated, reaching for her purse on the couch to grab her wallet...it was then when JJ was aware of it...when the brunette leaned down, and her hair fell down revealing her neck. She almost screamed, but she knew she couldn't say anything in there with her mother around.

"Actually, I need some coffee, too." JJ said, almost forcibly pushing Emily out of the room.

"Oww, what the hell, JJ! What is wrong with you!" Emily said abruptly.

"What's wrong with me...what's wrong with you? That's a hell of a bite, girlfriend!" She said, unable to help herself.

"What...what are you talking about?" Emily asked confused.

JJ just grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bathroom that was right across from them.

"JJ...what..." But she didn't finish her statement. When JJ put her right in front of the mirror, there it was a very big hickey on her neck, and her hair hardly covered it.

"Oh my God!" Emily said, running her fingertips over the purple skin.

"So, who's the lucky guy?" JJ asked, her smile getting even wider.

"No one." Emily answered, annoyed. What in the hell was wrong with him, she was absolutely sure he had done that very intentionally. The thing was big enough that she would not be able to hide it. Dammit...dammit...dam Aaron Hotchner and his twisted version of cheap sex.

"Someone had a good night, want to tell me what happened?" JJ insisted, with a smile that looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Nothing happened, okay, I got bitten by a spider." Emily said, without knowing what else to say.

JJ just burst into laughter.

"Really, Emily, a spider bite? You're going to have to get more creative because that looks like a Count bit you. Are you dating a Count?" JJ said, smiling at the embarrassment of her friend.

"So, want to tell me what happened?" The blonde asked again, excited.

"JJ, please, just leave it alone, okay? I don't want to talk about it now, please." Emily snapped.

"Fine, but you have to know I won't let this one go that easily." The blonde pointed out.

"I need my makeup bag, please." Emily said suddenly.

"What?" JJ asked, in confusion.

"My makeup bag, JJ, is in my purse, I need it. I can't go back in there, or let anyone see, especially not my mother." Emily said, freaking out.

"I don't think makeup is going to do, girlfriend...with that hickey, you need a new neck." The blonde teased.

"Dammit, JJ, just get it, okay!" Emily almost cried.

"Okay, relax, I'm just teasing you. I'll be right back." JJ said, what the hell was wrong with her, and who had she been with to be freaking out like this.

JJ walked out of the bathroom leaving Emily alone. Damn Aaron Hotchner, what the fuck was he thinking.

"Dammit!" Emily said angrily, banging her fist on the sink.


	15. Chapter 15

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 15: The Other Woman.

Hotch parked his car at his apartment complex, it was late at night, and he had been driving around in circles trying to clear his mind about the events that had occurred that night. He had made love with Emily in her office on top of her desk...not exactly the romantic scene he had pictured when he had thought of being with her again. But, one thing had led to another, and they had ended up making love. It was without a doubt the best sex he had ever experienced and as a gentleman, he never rated his sexual experiences with women, but it was difficult not to when he was talking about a woman like Emily Prentiss because she was everything he had ever wanted in a partner. She was utterly beautiful, had one of the most amazing bodies he had ever seen, she was sweet and compassionate and she had an amazing heart. But, she was also a strong, independent woman that could put anyone in his or her place. She was highly educated and successful at anything she did, and his chemistry with her in intimacy was cosmic. Everything about her made him crazy, her smile, her laughter, even her temper, drove him crazy...the good and the bad, and she made him want to scream in frustration and ecstasy. He had realized tonight just how much he still loved her; how crazy he was about her, even if she had taken over his job. Hell, she was even great at that, and he hated to admit she was even better than him at the job, but he wouldn't have expected any less from her.

For many years, he had avoided letting his feelings or emotions show; he had been hurt badly by the woman with whom he had shared more than a decade of his life, and he had sworn he would never fall in love again, but then, Emily was hired at the BAU, just after he had made his vow. Aaron had instantly felt more than attracted to her...who wouldn't be…the woman was hot as hell for her age, in fact, he wasn't the only one in the building that had a thing for her, and not only that, she had an amazing personality that could make any man melt. But, he hid his feelings, he pushed her away, even being an asshole to her because he was sure if he let himself get any closer, he would have ended up in love with her way beyond reason. His tactic worked for three long years where he pushed her aside and treated her like crap, but it was necessary so his heart wouldn't get involved; then one day she decided to leave, tired of his crap and his treatment of her, and that was when he realized he could no longer hide his feelings...he couldn't let her get away. That night, he came to her going away party and had the most amazing and memorable night he had ever experienced when he took her to the hotel room, and they ended up making love, him tasting her, feeling her, and it was the closest experience to heaven he had ever had. Aaron had it all under control...the next morning, he would wow her with flowers and breakfast, he would get on his knees and ask her for forgiveness and beg her not to go, then he would reveal his true feelings to her hoping he could convince her to stay. But, instead, he had woken to an empty bed, and he had never seen her again.

And, after almost four years, she was back and while he was hurt for the way she had left, and he had wanted to do the same thing, push her away again and be an asshole to her, he had not been successful. Tonight, he had lost, he had realized how much he still loved and cared for her, he was crazy jealous about Dave, and he realized he couldn't torture himself any longer, he had lost his battle and had ended up making love with her in the office and while it wasn't the romantic scene he knew she deserved, it had been as wonderful as the first time.

He knew he couldn't continue hiding his feelings, he wanted nothing more but to spend the night talking with her, telling her how he felt, making love, and he didn't care anymore...he wanted to be with her no matter what. He would fight for her even if it was the last thing he did in his life, he was crazy about her, madly in love, he had even fallen in love with her beautiful daughter when he had dared to visit her a few more times behind Emily's back, he just couldn't resist himself, if he was crazy about Emily, he couldn't even put into words what her little girl made him feel. Bay made him feel a tingly feeling in his stomach and heart, she was as beautiful as her mother, and there was simply something about that little girl that made him want to come back over and over again.

He got out of his car and began walking toward his apartment...he would figure a way to win both of their hearts. Hotch opened the door to his apartment tiredly, and he was taken by surprise by what was in there, or better yet, who was in there.

"Beth, what are you doing here!?" Hotch asked, as he saw the woman sitting in his living room.

"I know I shouldn't be here without being invited, but I needed to talk to you, honey, I just really miss you." Beth said, in a sickly sweet voice, standing up and walking toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Beth, please." Hotch said, removing her arms from around his neck and pulling away from her gently.

"I thought we were taking a break." Hotch said, walking away.

"I know, honey, but I really miss you. I realized this time how much I really love you, and I don't want to take a break." Her arms going back to his neck. Hotch gently pulled away again...he hated to do this, but he couldn't help himself.

"Beth, stop please, you can't just come into my apartment like this...I asked for some time away because it was me who needed the time away." Hotch watched as her fake, innocent face turned to anger.

"What in the hell do you need time for, Aaron? I said I was sorry, and I wouldn't act the way I did anymore." Beth hissed.

 **Flashback:**

 _A few weeks ago, Hotch had attended a family reunion with his parents and other close family friends; Jack and Sean had also been there, and since it was a family thing, he wanted it to be just that. However, Beth had followed him to the event and walked in uninvited and made a scene when he had been dancing with his brother fiancé. Beth began screaming at him in the middle of the dance floor and basically embarrassed him in front of his family and friends. What had pissed him off the most was that Jack had been there and had witnessed everything. Hotch had already been having issues with Beth because she was beyond jealous bordering on obsessive and possessive, something that Hotch hated because he didn't like being controlled, or to have to explain himself to anyone for every single move he made._

 _At the same time, he had also realized he wasn't in love with Beth and really didn't have close feelings for her, and he couldn't simply stay in a relationship that he knew wasn't going to have a future. That night, he was so mad they got into a huge fight and he intended to break up with her, but, as he had imagined, she didn't take it very well and ended up crying and throwing another martyr scene. Crying and begging him not to end their relationship, even getting on her knees and begging, in the end he agreed they would take some time apart. But even then, Hotch was sure that he didn't want to be with her._

 **End of Flashback**

"I heard you, Beth, but you don't seem to understand...when I need space, I'm not ready to talk. I still need time and space." He said frustrated, trying not to lose his temper.

"But, Aaron, please, let's just sit and talk until we come to an agreement, please, baby." She begged.

"Beth, it has been a really long night, and I really don't want to do this now. I'll call you when I'm ready to talk." Hotch said politely.

"I won't leave until we talk." She said stubbornly.

"Fine, you know what? Stay! As long as you want. I'll leave." And with that, he walked out of the apartment and left her there, screaming and crying.

Hotch knew now he should have never gotten involved with Beth. She was becoming irrational and that truly scared him. He didn't love Beth, and he never had...she was pleasant and uncomplicated, but he loved Emily; he always had and he knew now that was why he had never been able to really care for Beth, or fall in love with her...that and the fact that she very quickly became unbalanced after they began dating.

He started driving around again...damn, Beth...all he wanted to do was go home and go to sleep; now, he couldn't even go to his home, he should have never given her a key to his place. He needed to find a way to break up with Beth, knowing it wasn't going to be easy or good. He took the highway again, maybe he would go back to work and do paperwork, then suddenly an idea bounced into his head...he quickly took the next exit and made a U-turn. Maybe this wasn't a good idea, but he wanted to be there, he just couldn't help himself.

Hotch parked at the hospital and got out, hoping she wouldn't slap him for being there without her permission. He walked inside the hospital and made his way to the room since he was familiar by now where Bay's room was. He stopped outside the room and watched Emily through the sliding glass doors. Bay seemed to be sleeping deeply and Emily was sitting in the big chair going through files. It was at least one in the morning, and he couldn't believe she was still working on paperwork this late. He gently tapped on the door so he didn't wake Bay; he didn't want to just go in...Emily removed her eyes from the files, and looked toward the door, and the files almost landed on the floor when she saw who it was, her heart began to beat crazily in her chest, and her eyes landed on Bay. What the hell was he doing here...he couldn't see Bay, and she couldn't allow this, at least not right now. She stood up quickly and as quietly as she could walked toward the door and walked out of the room, closing the door immediately as if she was trying to shield Bay from his eyes.

"What are doing here, are you crazy!?" Emily asked terrified.

"Yes, I'm crazy, I'm crazy about you, I can't hide it anymore." Aaron said, as he pulled her into his arms kissing her deeply. Emily was relieved JJ and her mother had already left.

"Aaron, stop, what do you think you're doing, you can't be here." She said nervously, pushing him away.

"I know, I'm sorry I showed up like this...I just wanted to see if you needed anything, if she...your daughter, needed anything." Aaron's eyes going to the bed where Bay was sleeping, making Emily even more nervous.

"I'm fine, we're fine." Emily said, tensing up, he couldn't see Bay...he just couldn't.

"I still wanted to check on you, I know how hard this has been for you with the BAU and your daughter sick, it's a lot to handle." Aaron's smile was soft and genuine, Emily finally relaxed a bit.

"Thank you, she seems to be doing well, she has the best doctor, she's sleeping now." Emily didn't want to be rude, but she needed to make sure he didn't see her daughter, or maybe she should say…his daughter.

"What about you, are you doing well?" Aaron asked, grabbing her hands tenderly and pulling her close.

"Aaron, please, I'm not very happy with you right now?" She said severely, although her eyes were soft, and there was a small smile on her face.

"Why is that? Did you not enjoy it? Because it sure seemed like you did." He teased, pulling her close and giving her a foxy smile.

"That is not what I meant and you know it, you left me a huge hickey, Aaron, a HUGE hickey, are you insane?" She slapped at his chest.

"About you I am." He said, unable to control himself and kissing her passionately.

"Stop, Aaron, behave, please, my daughter is here." Emily reprimanded, pushing him away again.

"I know, I'm sorry, I just...I know I've been a complete asshole to you, but I did it to hide how crazy I was about you. I know we can't talk here, and I owe you an apology. I just wanted to come here and tell you I'm here for you for anything that you need, or your daughter needs." Aaron said, looking at her deeply. Emily wanted to cry at his words.

"Thank you, we do need to talk, but not here. Bay is my first priority over everything." She said honestly.

"I know, I'll leave now, so you can get back to her, we'll talk later." Aaron kissed her lips and then her forehead.

"Thanks for coming." Emily said, as he started walking away...he smiled and then blew her a kiss.

Emily just stood there watching as he left with so many emotions in her head; she had been terrified about the fact he could have seen Bay. She was also still jazzed about what had happened earlier that day. She was touched that he would come if she or her daughter needed anything, he did care. All this time, she had believed he didn't give a damn, but he really did care, he also cared about her, he said he was crazy about her. Aaron had apologized for his behavior, and suddenly, she had seen a different side of him in a matter of minutes, a side she liked, a sweet and compassionate side she never knew he had, and the final truth was she, too, was crazy about him.


	16. Chapter 16

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 16: Home, Horses and Unicorns

Emily woke up early the next morning at the hospital where Bay had gotten another round of chemotherapy just a few days before, and she had been a little fussy and under the weather. Bay had wanted her mother with her all night, and it had been a difficult night for both. Bay had begun to develop a few side effects to the chemotherapy, and she had spent most of the night with an upset stomach and vomiting. It really pained Emily to see her little baby girl so sick even knowing that it could happen at any time as explained by Dr. Bergman; Emily still wished she could take Bay's pain away. Doctor Bergman had explained that the vomiting and stomach pain were normal, as well as Bay's whiny mood...she had hardly let anyone touch her or even talk to her that night, except her mother, and when Emily didn't have her in her arms, Bay was crying and uncomfortable. Emily had never held her so much, even as a baby, and knowing that Bay was really hurting was devastating for her; fortunately for Emily, Bay had yet to really experience any hair loss, she did, however, have more bruising and occasional nose bleeds. Emily also knew she truly needed to dedicate more time to Bay...her baby girl needed her more than ever. Although Emily literally lived at the hospital and was with her all the time, it wasn't enough. She did have to leave for cases a lot and while her mother and her friends had been amazing with each other and rotated to help with Bay, it wasn't the same...even Clyde had flown to D.C. a few times and stayed with her.

But, Emily wanted to spend quality time with her daughter and show her that she was the most important thing in the world, because Bay couldn't understood why she was sick and what this illness was doing to her body. Bay was surely scared and confused, so her whiny mood was very understandable, and even the few temper tantrums she had thrown while at the hospital made Emily wish she could split herself in two and be at the hospital all day with her daughter and perform her work, too. Emily was desperately tired, she literally had no time for herself, her time had been divided between work and Bay, she hardly slept or ate, and she was pushing her body to the brink.

This morning, however, she had requested the next few days off, the team was on stand down, and she wanted to take the opportunity to spend the entire day with Bay and to take her home for a few days. Emily believed Bay needed to go home and sleep in her cozy bed and have some mommy cuddle time, as well as late mornings and early nights, and Emily just wanted some quality time with her. She had spoken to Doctor Bergman the night before about taking Bay home for a few days, and he believed it was a great idea...and he thought it would help her feel better. So, she woke up with a big smile on her face, as tired as she was, and with only a few hours of sleep she got up quietly without waking up Bay and went into the bathroom they had in the hospital to take a shower and to get ready for the day. A few minutes later, she came out freshened up and ready to have a great day. She left to get some very strong coffee, and when she got back, Bay was turning over on the bed, hardly waking up. She walked toward the bed and leaned down to press a few kisses on her daughter's face and forehead.

"Morning, my love." She said, waking up the little girl gently.

Bay pouted and hid her face on the pillow...Emily knew she was a little upset about the night before.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" She said, as she removed her hair from her sweet face.

Bay didn't respond, she just pouted deeper and turned over on her bed showing her back to Emily.

"What is wrong, are you mad at mommy?" Bay shook her head 'no', but remained with her back toward Emily.

"Is your tummy still bothering you?" Emily got closer to her and rubbed her back gently.

"You know I was thinking we can have a day together, just you and me...we can do whatever you want...and go wherever you want." With those words, Bay turned back facing her mother with a smile on her face.

"Can we go to the zoo!?" She asked, excited.

"If Doctor Bergman says it's okay to go, then yes, we can." Emily smiled wide watching her daughter's face light up.

"You won't have to work?" Bay asked, sitting up in the bed.

"No, baby, mommy is going nowhere, in fact, you and I will spend the next two days together...all day."

"All day?, and we can watch movies late at night like we used to in our other house?" Bay's mood had completely switched to overjoyed.

"Yes, my love, we can do anything you want." Emily said, picking her up in her arms and hugging her close.

"Can I sleep in your bed with you?"

"Yes, we're going home for a few days, okay, sweetie?" Bay nodded contently.

"Let's get you showered and all pretty, okay?" She carried Bay to the bathroom to give her a bath.

A little while later, Emily was walking to her car with her baby girl in her arms, ready to have a great day. She was so glad she could have a whole day to dedicate to Bay and most importantly, that she could take her out of the hospital and give her a different picture than a hospital full of doctors and sick kids. After she sat Bay in the back of the car and secured her in her child seat, she got in the car with a big smile, ready to have a girl's day with the most important person in the world.

"Okay, what does Princess Bay want to have for breakfast?" She asked, turning her attention to her daughter on the back seat.

"I want pancakes, mommy, with chocolates chips." Bay cried happily, it had been a few months since Emily had seen her so happy.

"Okay, chocolate chip pancakes it is." Emily said, starting the car and driving away.

After they had a very hearty breakfast with extra chocolate chips, Emily decided to take their "date" to the next phase and started driving toward the aquarium. Doctor Bergman told Emily the zoo might be not appropriate because of the sun's exposure; however, since the aquarium was indoors, Bay wouldn't be directly exposed to the sun. When they arrived, it was a nice quiet morning, which was a great opportunity to appreciate the fishes and other aquatic creatures better. Bay got to feed some of the fishes and even touch the stingrays. She even got to see a couple of the other animals such as the polar bears and seals, and even a few tigers that went in the water. Bay was beyond mesmerized with the penguins and the whales. Emily was so happy to see her laugh and smile, it was helping her feel better, and she knew Bay was overjoyed.

They spent most of the morning at the aquarium and had a small snack picnic inside. Around four in the afternoon, they headed out of the aquarium and to the car. Emily had pushed Bay in the stroller almost all day because she knew Bay was not strong enough to walk around all day. That really made Emily want to cry...the little ball of energy she had that used to run around all day and bounce around nonstop, could hardly do any of the things she once did without getting tired quickly. She wanted to see her daughter healthy again, so, she prayed to God every night that this would be over soon; she wanted to see her daughter full of life and energy again, no matter what she had to do...she would get her daughter's health and happiness back.

After they left the aquarium, Emily took Bay to a toy store to get a new horse for her collection. Bay, unlike most girls her age, wasn't attracted to dolls and princesses. She did like them, but she was obsessed and fascinated with horses, but Emily couldn't figure out from where she got the love of horses. Her room had been painted light green and pink and was filled with horses of all shapes and types; her wall decals were unicorns and so was her night lamp. Emily was sure she had at least a hundred horses in that room, if not more, from very tiny figurines to very big stuffed ponies. She got her a couple of different ones, one was a pretty Kona horse with purple wings and mane, and one was a stuffed white pony. After they paid, they made their way home, Bay was so happy to be home for a few days, and Emily wanted to make sure she made the best of it. They still had a whole night and another day to make her feel better, and Emily wanted to make Bay understand how much she really loved and cared for her. Once they got to the condo, Emily carried Bay upstairs along with Bay's new ponies.

"Do you want find a place for your new friends while mommy puts our other shopping away then we can talk about dinner, okay, baby?" She asked, getting on her knees to kiss her baby girl. Bay nodded and started getting her toys out of the bags. Soon, Emily was in the kitchen putting away some of the groceries she had gotten when Bay walked in slowly, her eyes watery, with a small pout on her face.

"Mommy?" She said quietly.

"What is it, love, are you all right?" Emily asked, concerned.

"I'm tired, and I don't feel so good." She said, her lower lip quivering.

"It's okay, love, come here, we had a very busy day, come on...let's take you to bed so you can take a nap, okay?" Emily said, picking her up in her arms and taking her back upstairs.

Emily took Bay to her room and lay in bed with her, covering her with the blanket and pulling her close.

"What about our movie night?" Bay asked sadly.

"Well, it's not even night, baby, sleep a little bit so you feel better, and then we can have dinner and a movie after your nap, okay?" She said, kissing her forehead and checking to see if she had any fever.

Bay cuddled closer to her mother, and getting comfortable in her embrace.

"Mommy, I love you so, so much." Bay said, hugging her mother.

"I love you, too sweetie, with all my heart and soul." Emily said, as quiet tears slid down her face; she hated to see her daughter like this, sick and vulnerable,...she would give her own life to save her if she could. Within minutes, Bay fell asleep...she was exhausted, the aquarium visit had definitely worn her out, but Emily knew she had a lot of fun and it had been worth it. She closed her eyes pulling her daughter close, then, she, too, dozed off for about twenty minutes until her phone vibrated on her hip, waking her from her peaceful slumber. She looked at her caller Id and a huge smile appeared in her face. Emily slowly got off the bed without waking Bay and stepped out of the room, closing the door gently.

"Hello." She answered tiredly.

"You sound like crap." Clyde said, in his usual chirpy, British voice.

"Hello to you too, Easter." Emily said letting a small smile dance across her sleepy face.

"Hello, beautiful...how's it going? By the sound of your voice, I'd say 'not too good'." He said, knowing Emily's expressions and tones.

"It's just been a long day." Emily said, walking out on the balcony because she needed some fresh air.

"What's wrong? Is it work? Is Bay ok?" Clyde asked worriedly.

"She's fine, actually...we had a girl's date today with a visit to the aquarium, and I was allowed to bring her home for a few days." Emily said, trying to hold back the tears.

"That sounds like something you both needed, Em, I'm sure my little princess appreciated the mommy time." Clyde said calmly.

"Yeah. she did." Emily said, as silent tears slid down her cheeks.

"Em, what's wrong, why are you crying?" Clyde knew something was wrong...he could hear it in her voice.

"It's getting worse, Clyde. The chemotherapy is making her very sick, she can barely walk around without getting tired, and she's not my same baby anymore." Emily said sadly, as tears started to run freely down her face.

"I know she can hardly understand what's going on, this damn illness is eating my baby, Clyde, it's getting worse, I can tell it is, I can see it, and I don't know what to do." Emily sobbed.

"You need to tell him, Em." Clyde said softly.

"What good is that going to do? It's not going to change how she feels and what this damn thing is doing to her!" She cried.

"No, it won't, but he can be there for you and for her, and he can and will help." Clyde pointed out.

"You don't know that, Clyde, you don't know if he is going to walk away the minute he knows he is a father." Emily said, wiping her eyes.

"And you'll never know what choice he'll make if you don't tell him. It's not fair, Em. For you, or for Bay...even for him." Clyde's voice was calming and very comforting.

"It's complicated, Clyde. What am I supposed to say, 'Hey, I need your reports done tonight, and oh, by the way, you have a daughter who is struggling for her life.'" Emily asked, frustrated.

"It might not be a bad idea, the longer you wait, the worse it will be."

"I know, I want to tell him, it's just...things aren't exactly good between us right now...they're getting better, but..." Emily said, looking out over the skyline at the beautiful night lights of D.C. from her balcony.

"Are you still on bad terms? I thought being the leader would soften things between you two?"

"It has somewhat. I think...it's just...I don't know...things are weird."

"Oh no." Clyde said worried.

"Oh no, what!?" Emily questioned.

"I know that tone...something happened, didn't it? You slept with him." It wasn't a question. Emily just stood quietly.

"You did, you banged him, didn't you? Was it good, at least?

"Dammit, Clyde, I hate you!" Emily yelled, irritated.

"Hey, it's not my fault you got laid!" Clyde teased, and Emily remained silent.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" His tone was soft now.

"Not particularly, I haven't even digested this myself, everything is so crazy right now." She said sincerely.

"Okay, you know I'm always here, to talk, or not to talk...whatever." He was truly concerned about her.

"I know, Clyde. I have always known that. I also know I need to tell him...I just don't know when or how yet. I'm so exhausted." She was so tired, she felt like her brain was shutting down.

"Okay, well, get some rest and have fun with Bay. I'll call tomorrow so I can talk to her." Clyde said soothingly.

"Thank you, I know she'll love to talk to you."

"I'm trying to find some time here to come and see you both, okay, love?" He knew he had to go and see them again; she needed him more than ever.

"Nothing will make me happier. I really need you."

"Good night, darling."

She wiped away the last of her tear stains and walked back inside the apartment. After checking on Bay who was still sleeping deeply, she went into the kitchen and started dinner. She knew her daughter loved spaghetti and meatballs, and she wanted to spoil her tonight and give her what she liked the best.

When Bay woke up from her nap, she was feeling much better, even a little more energized. Both Prentiss women had a nice dinner and chatted about what they wanted to do tomorrow while they ate. After dinner, Emily took Bay upstairs for a warm bubble bath and both of them got into their pj's so she they could relax and feel better. Then Emily went into her bedroom and placed all her fluffy blankets on the bed making it cozy and comfortable. Mom and Bay both cuddled under the blankets with a big bowl of popcorn starting their first movie...Spirit, of course, since it was about horses and one of Bay's favorites.

They watched the entire movie and then switched to Madagascar. Emily actually enjoyed watching kids movies, especially with Bay. It was their favorite cuddle time, Bay was cuddled as close as she could be with her mom, her head leaning on her mother's chest. She was beyond happy to have the night alone with her mommy; Bay was watching the movie happily while her mother ran her hands through her hair. After dinner and two movies, Bay was beginning to drift to sleep again, but she was just so happy.

"Did you have fun today, baby?" She asked, rubbing her daughter's tummy softly.

"Yes, can we do a lot of things tomorrow, too?" Bay asked tiredly.

"Of course, sweetheart, I was thinking we could go to the circus. I know you wanted to go."

"Can Uncle Dave come, too? He said he likes circuses, I want him to come."

"Of course, he can. We'll ask him tomorrow, is that okay? Why don't you try to go to sleep, okay?" Emily encouraged her, kissing her cheeks.

"No, I want to watch the movie." Bay pointed to the television, and although Emily could see she was clearly fighting to stay awake, she let her watch the remainder of the movie. She usually didn't allow her to stay awake past bedtime, but this was a special day for both of them, and she was willing to make an exception. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. Bay was still fighting to stay awake, and Emily grabbed the phone without looking at the caller ID...sitting up on the bed and answering.

"Prentiss." She answered.

"Why so formal, I thought we were friends now?" A big smile spread across her face against her will.

"Good evening, Hotchner." She said nicely.

"You know I it like better when you call me Aaron, especially when we're...you know." Emily burst into laughter.

"You are impossible, you know that?"

"I've heard that a couple of times." His voice was sweet and sexy.

"How are you, I just wanted to check on you, to see if you needed anything." Aaron asked.

"I'm okay, thanks for calling; I was allowed to bring my daughter home for a few days, and it was good for her." She said, as she ran her thumb over her now sleeping baby girl's face.

"I'm glad you got some time off for you and her; listen if you need to take more time off, you can, Dave and I are taking care of everything, and I took the liberty to do the stack of files you had at your desk."

"Oh, Aaron, I really appreciate that so much, but you didn't have to do that."

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to...just take the rest of the week off for you and your daughter. We have everything under control here." He reassured her.

"Thank you so much, Aaron, you have no idea what this means. I have no way to repay you for this." She truly was grateful...taking the entire week off for her and her daughter didn't sound like a bad idea at all.

"Perhaps, you could let me take you out for dinner?" There was something in his voice that made her melt, and she laughed into the phone and blushed.

"Please?" He insisted.

"We'll talk about it when I get back, okay?" She said, smiling.

"Okay, have a good night, and just remember that I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Aaron, thank you very much, good night."

"Goodnight, beautiful." He said, and hung up the phone.

She got up and placed the phone back on the nightstand and closed her eyes. Emily truly did care about him and wanted to trust him and believe in him, but it was more complicated than that. She had to figure out a way to tell him that Bay was his daughter, and she knew that when he did find out, he would possibly hate her for keeping Bay away from him all these years.


	17. Chapter 17

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 17: Clyde Easter and the Mystery Friend

Clyde Easter was a man of his word and this time was no different...just as he had promised Emily, he was able to get out of work for a week or so, and he found himself taking the first plane available to Washington. Although he was his own boss, he really didn't have the opportunity to take as much time off as he wished he could, but this was something he really needed to do. Emily and Bay were very important to him, the closest thing he had to a family, and two of the most important people in his life. He and Emily had known each other for several decades and although romance had never been a thing between them, they had always remained friends. They knew each other more than they knew themselves, and they had always been there for each other whether it was a family death, a broken heart, a life failure, or even a terrible cold, they were always there for each other, and he knew Emily needed him now more than ever.

It pained his heart so much to see his best friend hurting and in so much agony, and it even pained him so much more that the little angel whom he had fallen in love with three years ago was in a hospital battling for her life. He truly didn't understand why things worked the way they did, why bad things happened to good people and why God had chosen such an innocent creature to be so ill. He wanted to be there for Emily all the time, but he knew he couldn't, and that made him so mad. A part of him wasn't happy that Emily had taken Bay to back to Washington for treatment where he could only visit her a few times because if she had stayed in London, he could be with her every single day, but he also knew Emily had to do this in order to provide Bay with the best medical care at the best hospital, and because she needed to get her closer to her biological father.

He loved Emily and he knew he needed to support her and be there for her no matter what, so he found himself at Dulles Airport in Washington, hailing a cab and heading to the hospital where Bay was being treated. He hadn't let Emily know he was arriving, since he wanted it to be a surprise. He knew both Prentiss women needed him, and he was going to make sure the next week was completely dedicated to both of them. The cab driver took him to the hospital, and he paid taking care of his luggage and heading inside the hospital, stopping at the gift shop to get a huge teddy bear and a two bouquets, one for each Prentiss woman. He then asked at the reception area where Bay's room was and he headed there.

Emily was in the hospital room with Bay, trying to get here to eat, but she wasn't having any luck; the longer it passed the more ill her daughter became and the chemotherapy wasn't working the way the doctors wanted. Of course, Dr. Bergman had made her aware that this might be a long process and it could have different results...it all depended on how Bay's body reacted to the chemotherapy, and if the treatment was being successful in killing the cancer cells. In a patient of Bay's age, they had to be more careful with doses and medications, and it could be a slow and slightly painful process. Something that was turning out to be more stressful for Emily and painful for little Bay,

Emily was trying to get as much time as possible to be with her daughter and also fulfill her responsibilities at work, but it was consuming her completely, and she felt like no matter what she did, it wasn't enough. The BAU demanded more time from her each passing day, and while Aaron and Dave had been amazing at helping her, she still needed to perform certain functions on her own, and sometimes those functions such as meetings and paperwork would take more hours, and she would have to leave Bay at the hospital more time than she intended.

Of course, that was hard on her daughter, too, Emily knew her baby girl was hurting, and she wanted her mother with her 24/7 and there were just times Emily couldn't be there, and that really hurt her…on top of that, Bay was beginning to be resentful of that, and Emily could see it in her attitude and the few tantrums Bay was trying to throw. Bay had always been a sweet-natured child, she had never really misbehaved or acted out, of course, she was just a toddler, still, but for her age, she had acted like an angel; however, in the last couple of weeks Bay had thrown more tantrums and scenes than she had ever in her entire life. Emily knew she was just hurting and didn't understand what was happening to her little body, and she couldn't really understand why mommy wasn't always there when she needed her the most, but it still was difficult to divide herself between work and her daughter.

"Bay, you need to eat something, baby, please." Emily begged for what felt like the hundredth time. Bay just pouted and turned her face away, frowning angrily and pushing the spoon her mother was trying to give her away from her.

"Okay, you know what's going to happen, Dr. Bergman is going to come, and he's going to be mad if he sees you're not eating...you don't want him to give you more medicine now, do you?" Emily asked gently. Bay ignored her and picked up another stuffed horse she had received...this was a dark gray horse.

"You're not going to talk to mommy, then?" She asked sadly. Bay shook her head 'no' and hid herself under the blanket.

Emily just sighed, she was trying so hard not to lose her cool.

"Okay, then since you don't want to talk to mommy, I guess I'm going back to work." She teased, hoping that would get Bay's attention.

Before Bay could respond, Clyde entered the room as Bay was lifting the cover from her face again.

"Hello, pretty ladies." Clyde said, in his charming British accent.

"Clyde!" Bay screamed happily and Emily smiled widely without knowing what to say. He walked further into the room and lifted the little girl from the bed hugging her tightly.

"Hello monkey, how is the most beautiful girl in the world doing?" He kissed the girl and held her in his arms.

"You came to see me!" Bay said smiling widely forgetting her outburst.

"Of course, I came, I miss my little monkey." He gently placed her back on the bed and turned his attention to Emily.

"Hello, you." He said, as he also pulled the brunette into his arms.

"I'm so glad you're here." Emily said, fighting the tears in her eyes, holding really tightly onto him, and Clyde knew immediately she was about to burst into tears.

"It's okay, love, it'll all be okay." Clyde soothed her as he kissed her forehead.

"So, I heard someone doesn't want to eat, see Mr. Bear here won't stay with you if you aren't a good girl and eat your food...isn't that right, Mr. Bear?" Clyde said, sitting on the edge of the bed and talking to Bay sweetly.

"That's right, Bay needs to eat all of her food." Clyde said, faking the bear's voice, making Bay gasp in shock.

"Is he for me?" Bay asked with sweet puppy dog eyes.

"Only if you eat all of your dinner." Clyde pointed out, picking up the plate from which Emily had been trying to make her eat. Bay smiled shyly and blushed, but did as Clyde requested.

A few hours later, Clyde had managed to make Bay eat all her dinner and even take her medications. While Emily showered and put her to bed, she had noticed Bay was still acting distant from her, and it really pained her, but she also knew Bay didn't mean to act like that with her, she was just hurt and terrified and she just wanted her mommy by her side all day, and Emily hated herself for not being able to do that.

After Bay fell asleep, Emily and Clyde sat in the little living room the hospital room had to talk and catch up. It was so great to have her best friend by her side. Emily was so tired she couldn't even concentrate anymore, and she felt like crying, but Clyde knew her too well and knew she was fighting back tears. They talked for a while and he listened...he knew Emily was the type of woman that he couldn't push to talk, instead he let her fill him in. He knew she would break eventually and when she did, he would be there...but for now, he just listened as they talked about the therapy and what was the next plan in Bay's recovery. Then about her job and what the challenges were, and eventually the subject switched to Aaron Hotchner, and Emily couldn't hide her blushed checks when he mentioned him.

"I know that look...someone's heart is really into him." Clyde said, teasing her, grabbing her legs and pulling them to his lap, massaging her calves gently.

"You are seeing things, Easter, I don't know what you're talking about." Emily said, looking away.

How long have you been in love with him, Em?" He asked, this time looking at her gently, looking at her the way he always did when he knew she was lying and he could see through her.

"Honestly, since I first met him, well, it wasn't love at first sight because he was an asshole to me, but somewhere along the way...it happened." She confessed, looking at him.

"So, are you two dating now, or are you just releasing each other's tension by...fucking." Clyde teased. Emily slapped his arm and scolded him.

"We only...mmm...did it once...okay...well, twice if you count the night we procreated Bay.' She blushed at her own joke.

"Right, so, is that all he wants...to fuck around?" Clyde asked, a little angry.

"No, he wants more...or so he says, he has been great to me...he said he was really in love and he never admitted...God Clyde, he has been great! If I tell you everything he has done for me over the last couple of weeks, you won't believe it." She said sadly.

"Then what is stopping you, Em?" She looked down, and he placed his finger on her chin bringing her eyes to look at him. Her eyes filled with tears then she looked in the direction where her baby girl was sleeping peacefully.

"Bay? He is her father, Emily...do you really think he will just walk away from a child like that, if he really loves you the way he says he does, he'll understand." Clyde offered soothingly.

"No, he won't." Emily said, as tears finally rolled down her eyes.

"I knew it all along, Clyde." Her voice cracked.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

That he was her father, since the first moment they placed her in my arms at the hospital...and I saw her and those dimples, I knew he was the father." Emily cried as he pulled her in his arms, while she broke down.

Clyde hugged Emily and let her cry, it helped her calm down some, but he knew there was more to let out, and knowing Emily she would bury it deep inside her, all he could do was be there for her and help her with Bay as much as he could while he was there. So he did, and for the next couple of days he dedicated himself completely to both of them; he made sure he made Bay laugh as much as possible, and as Emily expected, he filled her room with decorative things with the permission of the hospital, of course, hoping he could make Bay's stay in the hospital as pleasant as possible. He even managed to change the bulbs to a little purple color that Bay adored. Dr. Bergman was happy...as a matter of fact…he believed that Bay needed the motivation and the love of her close friends and family, so he allowed Clyde to make a couple of modifications. He even allowed Clyde to make a tent in Bay's room, so he and Bay could play. Emily could see that it was making her daughter happy, and although she was still fuzzy with her, it made Emily happy to see her smile. On one of his last few days at the hospital, Clyde planned on having a sleepover with Bay and her mommy at the hospital, so he brought in movies, and colorful pajamas, and was allowed to bring in popcorn; unfortunately, Emily was called away on a case that afternoon, and she wasn't able to stay with them for the sleepover Clyde had planned. He, however, told Emily not to worry about Bay…that he would stay with her as much as she needed, and he would even extend his stay in America to help her. Emily was so thankful to have him, but she knew Bay wasn't going to be very happy, and she wanted to make Bay understand, but the truth was there was very little a three year old child could understand about her mommy being gone when she wanted her there.

"Bay, please...listen to me, sweetheart." Emily said, as tears rolled down her baby girl's face.

"Nooo, you promised you would spend time with me." Bay cried.

"I know, sweetie, and I have been with you…all week, but now mommy has to go to work." Emily explained, trying to hold her, but Bay pushed her away as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"You always have to work, and you always leave me!" That really hurt Emily more than anything she had ever experienced.

"Please don't say that, sweetie, that's not true, mommy is really trying to be here for you, but I need you to understand, I really wish I didn't have to work." Emily said sadly.

"You didn't have to work so much when we lived at the other house." Bay reproached.

"Why did we have to come here? I want to go back home! I want to see my daddy! I love him more than you anyway!" That made Emily's heart shatter into a million pieces.

"Bay, don't say that to your mom, sweetie, you know don't mean that." Clyde stepped in and told her.

"Yes, I do, I hate her. I hate her very much!" Bay sobbed heavily with her face pushed into the pillow.

"Bay, that isn't nice at all…if you don't apologize to your mother, we won't have a sleepover anymore." Clyde reprimanded her.

"I don't care." The muffled voice of the girl came from the pillows.

"Bay..." Clyde started, but Emily stopped him.

"Just leave her, its ok." Emily stated, as her eyes filled with tears.

"You know she doesn't mean any of that, Em, right? She is just a kid. Clyde said, looking at her with sad eyes.

"I know, I have to go. Okay?" Emily walked to the bed and placed a kiss on her daughter's head and walked out of the hospital room while tears rolled down her face.

When Emily arrived at Quantico, the team was already gathered in the conference room…luckily the case was local, and they didn't have to travel. They had to work on the disappearance of a child at a local carnival. The Amber alert had just been raised, and the team rushed down to the location where the small child had disappeared. As usual, Emily hated cases involving children because it was just so painful for her to deal with while her daughter was in the hospital sick. Within twenty-four hours, the team managed to locate the child. Surprisingly, there was no bad guy behind an abduction…the boy simply was wondering around and managed to separate from his family. Since the carnival was located at a corn field, the boy got lost in the corn maze, and when it started getting dark, he started running and trying to go back to where his family was. Unfortunately, since the corn mazes were too tall for him, he didn't realize he was running in the opposite direction, and he managed to wander around for several miles, but the SWAT team finally located him many miles from the cornfield. The boy was fine, he had a couple scratches but nothing big, but the police did take their job seriously, since they knew there were a lot of bad guys out there that kidnaped kids and did all kinds of horrible things to them. Luckily, this wasn't the case in this instance, it was the first time they didn't have to go after a bad guy, and they found the boy alive and returned him to his mother's arms, their job was done, and it was time to return to Quantico. Everyone was happy to go home and mostly this was a good day for the team, because this was the first time in years they didn't have to go after some crazy psychopath or some monster. They really wished all their cases were like that, but they knew that was too much to ask for, all they could do was go home and rest and wait for the next call so they could go after another bad guy.

Emily was collecting her last files in her office when Aaron walked in, everyone had already left for the night and they were the last ones in the office. Aaron wanted to check on her since he had noticed she had been a little edgy on this case, even though there had been no bad guy, but he also knew she had been going through a lot because of Bay, and having her daughter terminally ill wasn't the easiest thing for her to go through, in addition to leading the team and performing her job.

"Hey, what are you still doing here?" Aaron asked sweetly…Emily jumped when he spoke to her.

"God, you startled me, I thought everyone had left." She said tiredly.

"No, I wanted to stick around in case you needed anything, are you alright?" He asked worriedly, looking at her.

"Yeah, I just wanted to review these cases JJ brought me to see where we are heading next." Aaron walked in closer to her. He could see she was exhausted because the bags under her eyes were more than evident, and in addition, her eyes were red from lack of sleep. He could sense her urgency and see that she wasn't okay.

"What's going on, Em...you can tell me anything, you know." Emily smiled for a second, it was the first time he had called her Em since they had known one another, although she had heard that form of endearment from the team, she had never heard him call her that…it made her feel special somehow.

"Nothing, I'm alright, I'm just really tired, I think..." Her voice broke a little bit, and her mind was fogging. She wasn't sure if she could do this anymore.

Aaron walked closer to her and pulled her in his arms; he grabbed her face gently in his hands and looked at her tenderly, he could see the tears that she was fighting not to spill.

"What is it, sweetheart?" That was all it took, the sound of that simple word. She closed her eyes and tears poured down her face against her will.

Aaron pulled her into his arms hugging her tightly.

"I...just...I don't know if I can do this anymore...I just don't know how..." She cried softly.

"What do you mean?" He asked, rubbing her back gently, holding her close to his body.

"All of it...work...leading the team, I can't even be at the hospital when Bay needs me."

"Emily, you spend every single second you're not here at the hospital."

"It's not enough, Aaron, she's sick, she's sick, and she's terrified, and she wants her mother there, and I can't be there, and she's resenting me for that. I'm a horrible mother. She hates me." She cried.

"What? What are you talking about? You're a great mother, Em. You're literally splitting yourself in two to work and be there for your child. You're doing everything you can." Aaron said gently, pulling away a little to look at her eyes, tears were streaming from her beautiful eyes.

"I was supposed to stay with her last night, and I left her and now she hates me! God, Aaron, when she told me that, I felt like I wanted to die." He watched her as she spoke, and from what he could understand, she had probably gotten into some sort of fight with the little girl.

"She told you that?" Emily nodded, as more tears rolled down her cheeks.

"She's angry at me for moving here, for not being there. I'm failing her, Aaron."

It really pained him to see her cry; he wished he could be there for her and help her, he wished he could help with her daughter, but he knew he couldn't.

"Em, she's a child. I don't know what happened, but I'm sure she didn't really mean that. Kids...well, they tend to react like this and say things like that when they are angry, or when they don't get what they want." He wiped her tears gently.

"I know that, but she is very sick, and I should be there for her. God, Aaron, she could die, and instead of being there with her, I'm here all the time." She sobbed and he pulled her to him again holding her close, wishing there was something he could do for her, he could only imagine what she was going through with a sick child.

Aaron held her until she was finished crying, his suit getting wet with her tears, but he didn't care, he just wanted to be there for her, he just held her, shushing her tenderly and rubbing her back gently. He knew she just needed to let everything out; she had a lot going on, and while he couldn't do much for her, letting her cry in his arms was just what she needed. When she finally calmed down, he wiped her face and eyes tenderly, kissing her lips lightly.

"I'm here for you, whatever it is that you need, just tell me please."

"Thank you." Emily said, grasping his hands and lacing their finger together.

"Can I ask you something a little personal?" His voice was soft and gentle.

"Sure, what is it?"

"What about Bay's father, why isn't he here with you?" Emily's heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest…she got very uncomfortable and nervous, and she was sure she was going to have a heart attack.

"It's a very long story, I...just...it's kind of my fault he isn't here right now. It really is a very long story." She said nervously…she didn't know what to say.

"Well, whatever the reason, he should be here, no matter what happened, he should be here for her." Emily felt very guilty now, it was all her fault Bay's father wasn't there because of her stupid fault and because he didn't know he had a daughter in the first place! She really hated herself for doing this. Max, on the other hand, had actually tried to help and to be there. As much as he hated Emily and what she had done, he would always care for Bay; he had come to visit Bay a few times, and he always called her at the hospital. Emily didn't really speak much to him, unless it was to update him on Bay's treatment, but he called to speak with Bay and to show his concern for her.

"I have to go." She said, moving away from his embrace nervously…she couldn't look at his eyes any longer and lie to him.

"Thank you for everything." She said, placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

"I really mean it, thank you for everything, for being here...and for listening...you have no idea how much I appreciate it." Emily said softly.

"I'll always be here for you." Aaron kissed her forehead and then pulled her to him for another hug and helped her into her coat and walked her down to her car.

"Call me if you need anything, sweetheart, please." He offered sweetly.

"I will, I promise you...thank you, Aaron." Placing one last kiss on his cheek, she got in her car and drove away. She had been so close to being exposed about her secret; she knew she couldn't hide this much longer…Aaron needed to know, he deserved to know, he was a good man, and Emily was sure he would be an excellent father for Bay. Perhaps, he would understand why she did what she did, she just needed to find a way to tell him and tell him soon.

A few days after that, Aaron found himself walking into the hospital one more time, he knew Emily was having a late meeting with the FBI Directors, and he also knew he would have an opportunity to visit Bay since there wasn't anyone else who was going to be visiting the little girl for the next couple of hours. He knew he didn't have any right to do this, but he wanted to help even if it was behind Emily's back. He just wanted to do anything he could to help and possibly ease her mind. He found himself walking into Bay's room that afternoon while Bay was watching television.

"Hi." He said, smiling softly at the little girl.

"Michael, you came again!" Bay's face lit up completely. She had become good friends with him, and she liked it a lot when he visited her.

"I did, I wanted to see how are you were doing." He said, sitting down next to the edge of the bed.

"I brought you another little gift." He handed her the soft white and blue horse. It was a little bigger than the other ones he had gotten her, but by now he knew she loved horses of every kind, and she had a collection of them.

"Thank you, it is so pretty, thank you so much." Bay said, hugging Aaron.

"You're welcome, sweetheart, how are you feeling?"

"I'm good, my tummy hurts but not too much." Bay said, sitting up in the bed.

"I came to visit you because I want to talk to you about something." Aaron smiled, Bay nodded, looking at him with her chocolate brown eyes that made him so curious at times.

"See, a little birdie friend told me you got into a fight with your mommy the other night." Bay looked at him in shock at first, but then she nodded and look down with a small pout formed on her lips.

"Are you mad at me for that?" She asked sadly.

"No, sweetheart, I'm not, but you hurt your mommy very much, and you made her really sad." He explained, lifting her little face gently making her look at him.

"But, I didn't mean what I said."

"I know you didn't, because you are a very good girl, and you have an amazing heart."

"I want to show you something, okay?" Aaron asked.

"Can you cut one of the petals on the flower for me?" Bay did as he asked and then he instructed her to cut another one, so she did.

"Okay, now can you put the petals back on the flower for me?" He instructed gently, watching Bay struggle to put the flower back together.

"I can't, they won't stay back together, and it's broken now." Bay said, looking at him.

"I know, see, something like this is what happens when you say hurtful things to someone one you love. You hurt their feelings and sometimes it can't be fixed, even if we try. That's why we have to be careful with what we say even when we're angry, we can hurt someone really badly." Aaron explained.

"But, but I didn't want to hurt my mommy...I love her very much...I don't want her to be broken." Bay said, her lower lip quivering.

"I know, sweetie, you just need to be careful with what you say. Your mommy loves you very much, and she works very hard for you, and she is very worried about you because you're sick, but that's why she has to work...so you can be here with the doctors and they can fix you." Aaron spoke to her very softly and very gently.

"I know you want her to be here, but sometimes she can't...and you know why? Your mommy is also a super hero, and when she is not here, she's out there helping other little kids like you be okay."

"Don't you want your mommy to help other kids?"

"Yes, I do, I know she's a super hero, she puts the bad guys away." Bay finally smiled.

"Yes, she does, so that's why she goes away sometimes, but she loves you very much, Bay, and she's very sad because of the things you said to her."

"I'm sorry, I don't want her to be sad, I don't want my mommy to be hurt, can you tell your birdie friend to tell her that I'm sorry?" She asked sweetly.

"How about you tell her you're sorry and give her a very big hug when she comes back from work." Bay nodded.

"Michael, can I give my mommy the horse, to tell her I'm sorry?" She asked innocently.

"How about you keep the horse, and I'll get you some flowers and you can give her those?" He asked, his dimples deeply showing.

"Yay, she likes flowers!" Bay said happily, smiling widely. Aaron went in to the gift shop and got a nice bouquet of flowers for Emily. He then helped the little girl put her name on the card and after he spent a little bit more time with her, he left before Emily returned and found him there. He felt bad for sneaking in like that to see her daughter, but he simply couldn't help himself, he had fallen in love with the little girl.

Emily returned about a half hour later, and when she walked into the room, Bay was finishing her dinner with one of the nurses. Emily thanked the nurse and after the nurse left, she sat down on the bed next to her daughter pulling her close. Her eyes fell on the flowers on the side table…by now Emily was used to seeing Bay's gifts in the room since her friends always brought her stuff, and so did her mother, so she smiled softly.

"These are new, right baby? Who gave you these ones?" She asked, brushing her fingers softly on the petals of the beautiful bouquet.

"They're not for me, they're for you, mommy." Bay smiled…Emily was in shock.

"For me? Who brought them?"

"Me? She said sweetly. Emily smiled, astonished and amused.

You got me the flowers?" She laughed.

"Yes, I'm sorry for the things I said, I don't hate you, mommy. I'm sorry I said that, can you forgive me?" Bay asked, with a small pout. Emily's eyes watered, and she picked up her daughter, hugging her close.

"Oh baby, I know you didn't mean it, sweetie, its okay." Emily felt like crying.

"I'm very sorry, mommy, I don't want to hurt you…never." Bay said, in her mother's arms.

"I know my love, its okay, baby." Emily kissed her and hugged her as close as she could.

"Who gave you the flowers, Bay?" Emily asked curiously, with her daughter still in her arms.

"Michael, my friend I told you about." Bay explained, like it was a normal thing. Emily sat her back on the bed.

"Bay, who is this Michael guy...how do you know him? You know you can't be talking to strangers, sweetie. I've told you that many times." Emily said, a little concerned.

"But, he's not a stranger, mommy, he's my friend, and he's a good guy." Bay said, convinced.

"How do you know he's a good guy, baby, we don't even know who he is?" Emily was really beginning to worry about this mystery friend. She didn't know who he was and that really scared her, the doctor keep saying it was probably one of the nurses in the hospital, but she was beginning to get worried.

"Because he is good, he helps people, and he does good things, bad guys don't do that." Bay reasoned.

"What do you mean he helps people?" Emily asked

"Well, he works helping people that need him, so that makes him a good guy, and he brings me gifts and makes me smile." Emily watched as her daughter talked about this Michael guy…he did bring her gifts, and she noticed every time he came, Bay was very happy, but she didn't know who he was, and that really worried her.

"And he told me I have to be nice to you and love you." Bay added, while smiling.

"He told you that?" Emily arched her eyebrows.

"Yes, and then he got the flowers because he said they would make you smile, he's not a bad guy, mommy, and he's pretty." She smiled.

"Pretty, what do you mean, pretty?" Now, it was Emily who was the one that was smiling widely.

"Like Cinderella's prince, he's pretty." Emily burst into laughter.

"You mean he's cute?" She asked, amused.

"Yes, and he smells good." Bay said with a big grin, Emily couldn't help the big smile on her face.

"Okay, do you think I can meet this Michael friend of yours, please?" She asked, kissing her daughter's forehead.

"Yes, I'll tell you when he comes next time, may we watch the movie now?" Bay asked, pointing to the television.

"Of course, baby." Emily settled with her daughter on the bed…her eyes still on the flowers. Who was this Michael guy...she was very curious...she wanted to know who he was, and why he was bringing gifts to Bay and doing all these things for her.


	18. Chapter 18

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 18: Unbreak My Heart

After seven years, Emily still tried to run away from her feelings and not face what was really in her heart for Aaron, but she failed miserably. She fought for many years not to show what her heart felt for him...since the first time she saw him, she was in love with him, and there was no question in her mind about that, how could she not love him. He was a strong, hard workingman, plus he was driven and dedicated. And no one could deny he was handsome and charming with a killer smile that could melt anyone's heart. She also loved his intense stare that could make her tremble and cut to her core, but that also made her want him. The very stoic and emotionless Aaron Hotchner was the sweetest man she had ever known. When he was smiling and his dimples were showing, she felt like she could touch the stars; he was sweet and caring and he was a gentleman.

Ever since they had been intimate that night in her office, and he had admitted to her that he was in love with her and wanted a chance to prove to her what he felt for her, she was in a quandary...it wasn't that she didn't want to give him a chance, the truth was she did, but she was so scared of many things. She was afraid of being heartbroken, and she was wary that he might dare to break her heart because her experiences with life with a man told her to be very cautious and take one step at a time; after all, they had hated each other for several years, and he had acted like an asshole to her, then suddenly, here he was wooing her with sweet words and loving touches.

She was also very worried about the fact that he didn't know Bay was his daughter yet, and when he did know, she knew he would hate her and that scared her; okay, that was selfish but she didn't know what to do. She wanted him to know about Bay and be there for her, but she also knew that even if he knew about Bay, that didn't mean he would love her like he did Jack. She knew he was a good father to his son, Jack, but that was with him, she didn't know what kind of treatment he would give her daughter, or if he would even accept her as his daughter. Emily knew she was in love with him, but, she didn't know him completely, and the way she wished she did. Her own insecurities had led her to hide this Bay's paternity for far longer than she had indented, and now she just wasn't sure when she would be able to tell him, so that was the reason she kept pushing him away. No matter how hard Aaron tried, she just kept distancing herself from him. However, the truth was she was failing miserably and every day she just fell a little more in love with him.

As she saved the last letter she was working on in her laptop, she wanted to go home, take a shower and then head to the hospital to stay with Bay; she closed her laptop as Aaron entered the office.

"You know I'm really starting to believe you live in this office..." He teased as he stepped in with a stack of files.

"I know, I actually do, it's past midnight, and I'm still here. I just had to type some letters for the Bureau, and I can't find a stack of files I was supposed to work on. I swear I had them here, but I might have taken them home." She said in a sleepy voice as she stood up from her desk.

"I think I found your files." He said, waving around the stack of files he had in his hand and smiling at her.

"Oh my God, Aaron, you took them?" She asked, incredulously.

"I just wanted to help you, you've been working so much...here they are, all done." He said, handing her the stack of files. Emily smiled, and her face became soft.

"Thank you, but you really didn't have to do them, you already do enough to help me." She walked closer to him.

"I don't mind, I really want to help you." His dimples were showing deeply as he smiled.

"Thank you very much, but I really feel bad you are doing all this. "She said, as she tried to grab the files from his hand, but he lifted them into the air away from her.

"Can I at least have a kiss?" He teased, smiling. Emily blushed and rolled her eyes.

"Aaron." She scolded, shaking her head.

"What, just a small kiss...that's all I am asking for?" He pointed to his check with his free hand showing her just a tiny kiss on his check.

Emily rolled her eyes again and leaned up to kiss his check, but he immediately grabbed her by the waist pulling her to him and kissing her passionately. When they pulled away, Emily grabbed the files and scolded him.

"You are terrible, you know that!"

"I am, and I think you like that." She smirked and placed the files on her desk.

"Thank you very much, Aaron, but you have to stop doing all this for me, please, you're making me feel bad."

"I don't mind helping you, Emily, and you need the time for your daughter, so we're both happy." She smiled softly at him and just shook her head.

"By the way, Strauss wants us to work on the new Interrogation Questionnaire, we have to change it around every year." Aaron said, looking at her.

"I know, I was thinking we can do it tomorrow night, my mother can stay with Bay all night if it takes us that long, and at least I know Bay will be with someone.

"Okay, that sounds good, how about we do it at my place. I can make some dinner, and we can work peacefully there." He offered, but Emily looked at him in shock.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because we're doing work stuff...we should do it here in the office".

"Fine, but this might go for hours, it can get pretty uncomfortable, you know." Emily just glared at him.

"I'm just saying, we should be focusing on the questionnaire, that's all."

"And we will, unless you're afraid, that something else might happen." He said softly, getting closer to her and brushing his finger over her face lightly.

"Aaron, please behave." She warned.

"You know, we've already made love here at your desk once, so being at work won't stop us, if something did happen." Her cheeks blushed and she moved away from him.

"Nothing will happen, Aaron! Fine we can do it at your house. I have to go." She grabbed her coat and purse and walked out of the office leaving Aaron smiling widely. He would set up a great night for them, whether she wanted it or not.

The following night, Emily arrived at his apartment around six o'clock; they had finished their work at the office, and now they wanted to concentrate on the questionnaire. She knocked on the door gently and a very smiley Aaron greeted her...he was wearing black slacks and a light gray shirt, no tie, and he looked very comfy. He kissed her cheek when she walked in as helped her out of her coat.

"I made some pasta if you're hungry. I also cleared the table so we could work on the questionnaire." He pointed to the table where several books for the FBI and Interrogation Techniques were set up.

"Thank you, I think we should just focus on working on this. I want to finish as soon as possible so I can get back to my daughter at the hospital." She answered a little abruptly, and he noticed she was a little nervous and anxious.

"Okay, so let's get to it, may I at least offer you water? He asked politely.

"Sure, thank you." She sat at the table and pulled her own stack of books out of her briefcase.

They concentrated on working on the questionnaire for the next two hours, Aaron kept glancing at her and watching her as she concentrated deeply on the task at hand; he eventually did serve them a plate of pasta, and they ate while they kept working. They got through most of the questionnaire, but they were both tired and there was still a lot to do. Emily ran her fingers through her hair tiredly.

"I think I need some coffee, I'm seriously so tired." She said.

"I'll make some, and let's take a short break, then we'll get back to it." He suggested.

"Okay, I'm going to call and check on Bay." Emily said, grabbing her cellphone and calling her mother to check on her daughter; after the ambassador assured her that her daughter was fine, she disconnected the call and sat back down at the table. Aaron was still in the kitchen making the coffee. She picked up one of the books and started glancing through it, thinking of something else she could add to the questionnaire. She was searching through the pages when Aaron came from behind her and placed his fingers on her shoulders massaging her back gently.

"Aaron, what are you doing?" She asked nervously.

"Relax...you're too stressed out, I'm just trying to release some of your tension." His rough calloused hands were turning her muscles into butter, but she knew she needed to stop him.

"Aaron, please stop." She said trying to push his hands away. But he ignored her statement and continued his job, feeling her muscles on her back relax and feeling her surrender to his touch. Emily closed her eyes leaning into his touch, as he massaged her shoulders and her back. He slowly brushed her hair away from her neck and continued massaging her shoulders there, and then very slowly he leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her shoulders and then on her neck. Emily tried to stop him, but he pushed her hand away. He gently captured her earlobe in his mouth as his hand moved to the front of her blouse and began slowly unbuttoning her top buttons.

"Aaron, we can't, we have to stop." She whispered, as she felt herself becoming wet. He slowly and gently helped her up from the chair and turned her to him, capturing her mouth and pulling her close to his body; Emily wasn't able to stop herself as he picked her up in his arms and took her upstairs to his bedroom.

Aaron placed her gently on the bed as their mouths battled in a kiss; he finished undoing the buttons of her white blouse, spreading it open and revealing a beautiful white satin and lace bra...they pulled away from each other as her hands moved to unbutton his shirt. Emily didn't want anything to happen this night, but it was impossible to resist him. He softly smiled at her and gently took her hands as she finished with his shirt, and then he kissed her palm sweetly moving to her fingers pulling them into his mouth and licking them tenderly. They continued to undress each other slowly between kisses and looking at each other all the time. When they were both finally down to their underwear. Aaron pulled Emily gently to the middle of the bed, kissing every single inch of her body starting at her toes to her forehead. By the time he was done. Emily was dying to have him inside her. He gently returned to kissing her with so much passion while his fingers softly stroked her smooth legs.

"What do you want baby?" He asked, looking at her intensely.

"I want you." She whispered breathlessly, and Aaron smirked.

"I'm here, tell me what do you want. I'll do anything you want me to do to you." He said, as his hand finally stroked between her thighs. She threw her head back moaning softly, while he nibbled at her neck gently.

"No hickeys, Aaron, I mean it." She warned severely. He laughed and continued kissing her neck using gentle bites, while he listened to the soft moans her throat was making.

"God, baby, I love the way you moan." He said sweetly as he unhooked her bra and slowly tossed it to the floor.

His mouth now had complete access to her breasts, and he wanted to take his time playing with her breasts, in fact, he wanted to take all the time in the world satisfying her...tonight wouldn't be a cheap. drunk, having sex night, or a quick version of sex on the desk in the office night...tonight, he wanted to devote to her and find everything that satisfied her and made her scream with ecstasy. So, he took his time kissing her and touching her, he took his time with every single stroke, every single thrust, listening to her moans, listening to the way she enjoyed it while he made love to her. They made love several times that night, in different positions, they just took their time, and God, was it worth it!

A while later, they were lying beneath the sheets naked after she had at least three orgasms...she rested in his arms listening to the soft beats of his heart, playing with the curls of his chest.

"You know we were supposed to be working." She said, looking at him with a pout.

"We were, we're exploring human anatomy." He teased, and she burst into laughter, spanking his ass playfully.

"I'm serious, Hotchner." She reprimanded.

"We got through most of it, sweetheart. We'll be okay. I'll finish the rest tomorrow." Aaron said, kissing her gently. Emily smiled and nuzzled his chest.

"I have to go." She said, not wanting to leave the warmth of his arms.

"Why, Em, just stay with me, spend the night with me." He pleaded.

"I have to get back to Bay." She said, as she ran her hand to the back of his hair.

"Why do you always run away from me, Emily." Aaron asked sadly.

"I'm not running away, I just have to get to Bay."

"I want a full night, Em. I want more."

"What?" She asked, astonished.

"I want a full night with you, I don't want you to run away every single time...like this is some kind of dirty meeting."

"I'm not." Aaron placed his finger on her lips gently stopping her from talking.

"I want a whole night with you where I can treat you as a beautiful woman like you deserves. I want to make you a nice dinner and woo you with flowers and candles. I want an entire night where I can take my time exploring your beautiful body. A night where I can show you how much you really mean to me. I want to please you as many times as is possible, then I want to hold you all night and watch you sleep in my arms, contented and satiated, then I want to wake you in the morning with a kiss, flowers and your favorite breakfast. Just because your smile melts my heart. I want it all Emily. Just give me a chance, please." By the time he was finished speaking, Emily was sure she had tears in her eyes.

"Thursday night." She replied, smiling widely at his words.

"What?" He was caught off guard.

Thursday night, Penelope and Morgan want to have a movie night with Bay. I'm sure they would love to stay all night with her. I can spend the night with you." She smiled as she kissed his lips sweetly.

"All night!?" He said, with puppy dog eyes.

"Yes, all night, but now you have to be a good boy and let me go." She said, as he was holding her close to him.

"Okay, then..." He released his hold on her and just as she was going to sit up on the bed, he pulled her down hovering over her again.

"Aaron!" She squealed, laughing. He ignored her statement and kissed her passionately.

"This, you and me, I'm all in. I don't want a game...I want it all. I want something serious, and no matter what I have to do, I'll show you how much you mean to me." Emily smiled and caressed his cheeks, then she captured his mouth in a sweet and slow kiss.

"I want that, too." Aaron kissed her nose.

"I really have to go, honey. I need to go check on Bay."

"I know, come on, I'll walk you to your car." They got dressed slowly and when they were done, he once again pulled her into his arms kissing her, and they went downstairs for her to pick up her purse and belongings. He grabbed her hand and walked her to her car, opening the door for her like the gentleman he was.

"Drive carefully okay, baby." He said, pressing a kiss on her lips.

"I will, thank you for everything."

"I can't wait till Thursday." His dimples showing deeply as he smiled widely at her.

"Neither can I." With one last kiss, she got in her car and drove away with a big smile on her face. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to give him a chance and they could work things out, working on their relationship, and he could be there for her and Bay when she could find a way to tell him about Bay. She was now almost sure he would understand and he would be there for her. Maybe she could take this time to really get to know him and tell him that Bay Arian was his daughter.

That night, she slept at the hospital with a big smile on her face...she couldn't deny what he did to her, and what he made her feel. Emily hated to admit it, but she was crazy about him, head over heels in love with him, and she knew he was a great father, the kind of man she wanted for her daughter; things were working in her favor and very soon, she would tell Aaron Hotchner the truth.

The day before they were supposed to have their first official date, they had to drive to Washington State Penitentiary to do a custodial interrogation on an old case that could possibly be related to a recent body they had discovered. Emily took Aaron with her because he was an expert on custodial interrogations, and he was the one who had the most experience on the entire team, and he would be a tremendous amount of help for her. The rest of the team stayed behind doing paperwork and other tasks she had assigned.

The interrogation took most of their morning, but after a very intense interrogation, the inmate, Mark Graham, confessed to the murder of the victim they had found, Cynthia Havlicheck. This meant the case would be reopened, and his sentence would be increased, and he would have to face a new trial for this specific murder. After their duties were finished, they headed back to Quantico. Emily wanted to take the afternoon off to spend with her daughter and her mother. She was happy because the interrogation had turned out just the way she wanted, and now she could go see her baby girl, and tomorrow night, she would go on her first official date with the man she was madly in love with...things were starting to get better and better.

Aaron parked the car in the parking lot of Quantico, and they were both smiling over a joke he had made. He loved to make her smile, he loved her laughter and to see her happy, but as they both got out of the car, and Emily picked up her briefcase and the files for the Graham case, just as she was closing the door of the SUV, and Hotch was about to do the same with his door, a tall, pretty brunette woman approached them.

"I've been calling you for a few weeks now, why haven't you answered my calls, and who the hell is she!?" Beth Clemons jumped on them and started yelling as soon as she approached them. She had been waiting for him, trying to call him for over two hours now, and she was not happy at all when she saw him with Emily.

"Beth, what are you doing here!?" Hotch asked her, angrily.

"You haven't answered any of my fucking calls, and we need to talk!" Beth screamed at him. Emily just stood there in shock wondering who this woman was and why she was attacking him like this.

"Is there a problem?" She asked politely.

"Who the hell are you?" Beth asked, rudely.

"I'm SSAIC Emily Prentiss, Unit Chief of the BAU." She said, looking at Beth with questioning eyes.

"Beth, you need to leave, please, we have nothing to discuss." Aaron said nervously, looking at Emily who was giving him a questioning look.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Emily asked, cutting Aaron off and sending him a cold stare.

"Hi, I'm Beth Clemons, Aaron's girlfriend." She said with a fake smile.

"His girlfriend?" Emily asked, making sure she heard her correctly, feeling her heart shatter into a million pieces, the tears immediately began burning in her eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 19: When It Rains It Pours

Aaron parked the car in the parking lot of Quantico, and as they were getting out of the car, they were both smiling over a joke he had made. He loved to make her smile, he loved her laughter and to see her happy. Emily grabbed her briefcase and the files for the Graham case, and just as she was closing the door of the SUV, and Hotch was about to do the same with his door, a tall, pretty brunette woman approached them.

"I've been calling you for weeks now…why haven't you answered my calls, and who the hell is she!?" Beth Clemons jumped on them and started yelling loudly as soon as she approached them. She had been waiting for Hotch, trying to call him for over two hours now, and she was not happy at all when she saw him with Emily.

"Beth, what are you doing here!?" Hotch asked her, angrily.

"You haven't answered any of my fucking calls, and we need to talk!" Beth screamed at him. Emily just stood there in shock wondering who this woman was and why she was attacking him like this.

"Is there a problem?" She asked politely.

"Who the hell are you?" Beth asked, rudely.

"I'm SSAIC Emily Prentiss, Unit Chief of the BAU." She said, looking at Beth with questioning eyes.

"Beth, you need to leave, please, we have nothing to discuss." Aaron said politely but nervously, looking at Emily who was giving him a questioning look.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Emily asked, cutting Aaron off and sending him a cold stare.

"Hi, I'm Beth Clemons, Aaron's girlfriend." She said with a fake smile.

"His girlfriend?" Emily asked, making sure she heard her correctly, feeling her heart shatter into a million pieces, the tears immediately began burning in her eyes.

"Yes...we've been dating for a year...we were actually talking about getting married, weren't we, baby?" Beth asked, cynically, rushing to put her arms around Hotch's neck.

"Beth..." Hotch said, trying to stop her from putting her arms around his neck and shaking his head, but it was too late…Emily had already heard and seen all she needed or wanted to hear.

Emily turned her eyes to Aaron, and he could see the tears that were already forming in them…he could see that she was fighting not to show her emotions; she shook her head and gave him a dark and haunted look.

"I'll let you two talk, it was a pleasure to meet you. Ma'am." Without looking at Aaron, she stepped away from them. She needed to be as far away from them as she could be since she felt her heart aching so much it was burning and pounding in her chest, and she didn't want whomever that person was to see how affected she was by whatever was happening between her and Aaron, and she definitely didn't want to break down in front of either of them.

"Emily...wait...!" He screamed, but she ignored him, stepping into the elevators.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He hissed angrily at Beth, once Emily was gone.

"I needed to talk to you...honey." Beth said, wrapping her arms around his neck again. He immediately and very forcefully removed her arms from around his neck.

"We have nothing to talk about, Beth...why can you not understand that we are finished, done! I want NOTHING to do with you!" Hotch was so furious, he was shaking.

"Aaron, please, we can work this out." Beth pleaded, "I love you so much, I know we can work this out if we just talk about it."

"There is nothing to work out, I never want to see you in my life again." He pushed her away from him again as she tried to cling to him.

Beth started crying and making a scene just as he knew she would. He was so angry he wanted to scream and lose control; just when he had finally convinced Emily to give him a chance and she had finally accepted and loosened up, Beth had to show up probably ruining everything for him because he could see the distrust immediately go back up in Emily's eyes as soon as Beth had said she was Hotch's girlfriend. Emily didn't wait for an explanation.

"We are done, Beth...it's over...now leave before I call Security!" He said angrily, walking away from her and heading back into the Bureau.

"NO! HOTCH! Please don't make me go…I love you…" Beth screamed as she watched Hotch walk toward the FBI building, all the while making sure that the several agents walking nearby heard every word she was screeching.

As he had imagined, Emily locked herself in the office for the rest of the afternoon, she didn't let anyone inside her office, and after everyone else left, she was still there with her door locked. Aaron was sure it was to keep him from getting inside, but he would wait all night if he had to. He needed to explain the fiasco with Beth and what was going on to her; he needed to make her understand that this was a misunderstanding, and he had nothing to do with Beth, that he cared about her…he was in love with her and only her.

After what seemed like forever, Emily finally opened her door, and he could see she was on her way out…she had her coat on and she was carrying her purse and briefcase. She froze when she saw him still waiting by his desk for her. She sighed and walked past him trying to avoid eye contact with him.

"Emily, wait please, we need to talk." He begged, going after her.

"We have nothing to talk about, Aaron." She said, as she kept walking, reaching the elevators.

"Em, this is not what you think." He said, getting closer to her. Emily just shook her head. Unfortunately, the doors of the elevator opened up before she could answer, and they both got in; there were a few people inside the elevator…someone from counter terrorism and a male whom Aaron had never seen before. As they rode down the elevator to the parking garage, he examined her. She was fighting tears in her eyes, he could see the moisture, her hand was protectively around her purse, and her pose was tense, as if she was ready to attack. They reached the parking floor and everyone got out of the elevator, with Emily continuing on her way trying to get away from him as fast as she could, but he was faster, he stopped her right in front of her car blocking her way.

"Emily, please...listen to me." Aaron pleaded.

"Get out of my way, Aaron, please." She said, without looking at him.

"Just let me explain, please, this is a mistake."

"You're right, it's a mistake, I made a mistake by believing in you, by trusting you, by thinking that I would ever mean anything to you. I should have always known that all you wanted to do was play with me and use me." She said, tears finally forming in her eyes.

"No, Em, that's not true. I know this seems like I lied to you, but please let me explain. Beth and I broke up a long time ago." Emily looked at him as if she didn't believe a word he was saying.

"I'm telling you the truth, Emily. Beth and I aren't together, I swear." Emily just shook her head.

"You know, there's only one thing you've said the truth about...I should have never returned to Washington." Tears started rolling down her cheeks, and Aaron wanted to reach for her, to pull her into his arms and beg for forgiveness.

"Emily, please, you need to believe me." He begged, getting closer to her.

"Move, please, I need to get in my car." She angrily said through piercing eyes, and pulled away as he tried to grab her hand.

"Not until you listen to me." He begged one more time.

"Fine, don't move, I'll just take a cab." And she turned on her heels walking away from him and heading to the exit. He knew it was pointless to go after her, she was very angry and she wasn't going to listen to him, and it was bad enough she wasn't going in her car thanks to him. He watched her hail a cab and disappear down the street, as he banged his fist on the top of his Tahoe angrily. _Damn Beth, he now hated her more than ever._

A while later, Emily arrived at the hospital…so tired she could hardly stand up and feeling like her head was going to explode. She had cried all the way from the BAU to the hospital in the cab; she had never felt so humiliated and heartbroken in her life, she hated herself for believing him, for falling for his game, for giving herself to him, feeling he had once again used her for his own convenience. Over and over, the images in her head played like a slow motion movie, of him making love to her, telling her he loved her, telling her all these wonderful things that made her heart touch the sky. Dammit, she cursed, all the while with fresh tears falling from her eyes as she made her way through the cold street to the entrance of the hospital. _Damn Aaron Hotchner and his stupid games! How could she be so stupid as to fall into his grasp again; she should have known better than that and listened to her instincts when they told her she shouldn't go for it, but did she listen? NO, and now, here she was heartbroken and devastated. But, no matter what, she vowed to herself that she would not let him win, she would not let him destroy her. She would compartmentalize as she always did and get over him; and from now on, the only thing she would focus on would be her daughter Bay and nothing else. Bay was her number one priority anyway and the only thing in the world that mattered, the most important thing in her life. So she made a promise and a vow to herself, that she would never, ever again believe in a man, and that she would focus the rest of her life solely on her daughter and nothing else, even if she had to spend the rest of her life alone._

Tiredly, she walked inside the hospital. Her day had gone from the most amazing day in her life to the worst day in hell in a matter of minutes, and all she wanted to do was disappear, yet she knew she couldn't. There was a little human that needed her, and she needed to be strong for her. She made her way to her daughter's room and was surprised when she stepped in, not only about the fact that Bay was still wide awake past her bedtime, but at the visitor in her room.

"Bay Arian Prentiss, what are you doing up at this time of night?" Emily said, putting her hands on her waist as if she was mad, but she was smiling widely at the tiny little girl with curls bouncing on her head.

"Mommy, you're here." Bay screamed, jumping from the bed into her mother's arms making Emily gasp at the impact. She couldn't help the big smile that spread across her face as she caught her baby girl in her arms and hugged her close.

"I miss you so much all day long." Bay said, as she got comfortable in her mother's embrace.

"Oh, I miss you baby, every second of my day." She could feel the tears threatening to fall again, but she swallowed them kissing her daughter and hugging her even tighter to her.

"What are you doing here stranger?" She finally said, turning to the visitor in the room with a big smile on her face.

"I haven't seen Princess Bay in a while, so I thought I would stop by and see if her and her beautiful mother needed anything." Dave said, smiling at her.

"You're so good to me, Dave." She said switching Bay, who was still attached to her, to her hip.

"Mommy, Uncle Dave brought dinner, he brought the Chinese food you like so much and a movie. Can we watch the movie, mommy, please? It's about a water horse, can we pretty please watch it?" Bay begged, giving her mother her best puppy dog eyes.

"Actually, you should be sleeping now, missy." Emily said, moving the curls away from her daughter's face.

Please mommy, I didn't see you all day, today...you just don't love me anymore." Bay faked a sad face, she knew very well how to get on her mother's soft side. Emily just threw her head back, laughing.

"God, you do know how to blackmail your mother, don't you? You're a Prentiss, after all." She said, looking at those beautiful chocolatey brown eyes.

"Please, mommy..."

Dave laughed and Emily just rolled her eyes at both of them.

"Fine, but just for tonight, okay?" She said, smiling and placing Bay down on the couch while her and David set up the food he had brought. They had dinner in the room, and surprisingly, Bay ate more than she usually did…she couldn't blame her, hospital food generally sucked for a little girl and this was a delicacy compared to what they gave her daily at the hospital. She wanted to give her at least one night of takeout food and a movie, one night where she didn't have to sleep at bed time, one night where she could enjoy her mother and forget that she was locked up in a horrible hospital restrained to a bed. After dinner, they got rid of the containers and got comfortable in the room to watch the movie. Dave took the recliner and Emily took the couch…she sat in the corner and placed a few pillows on her lap so Bay could rest her head there, then she covered her with a blanket. The room was cozy and quiet and the three of them settled in to watch the film. A while later, Bay cradled up in her mother's lap and got comfortable in her arms… there was just something about her mother's warmth that made her feel safe; Emily pulled the blanket over them, and they continued watching the film.

"Mommy." Bay said, with a sleepy voice.

"What is it, baby?" Emily said sweetly, looking down at her baby girl.

"I love you, you are the best mommy in the whole world and the prettiest." Bay said, surprising Emily and making her eyes water.

"Mmmm, baby, mommy loves you so much, too, you're my little baby girl, and my one and only love." She placed a kiss on her daughter's head and hugged her closer to her, fighting the tears in her eyes.

Bay fell asleep in her mother's arms and after Emily carried her to bed and covered her with the blanket, Dave and her cleaned the room and straightened everything up, they sat on the sofa to talk. Emily had never really had a problem talking with Dave because he was one of her true and trusted friends and someone that cared about her deeply. Although, to other's eyes, it might seem that he was pursuing her, he never had and he was just a friend…someone that she trusts with her life and someone that she cared for deeply.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, as he poured two cups of coffee.

"Nothing, I'm just exhausted, it's been a very long day, actually it's been a very long year." She smirked.

"Yeah, I can imagine...finding out your daughter is sick, moving back." Dave said, handing her the cup of coffee.

Emily smiled and took the cup from him, slowly sipping at the warm liquid.

"Is that the only thing that's on your mind?" He said, looking at her intensely.

"Yes, that and the stack of files on my desk that I have to get to tomorrow." She joked.

"So, that sad face doesn't have anything to do with a certain ex-Unit Chief?" David asked, looking into her soul.

Emily got very nervous and looked away from him…damn, she hated that he was a profiler that could read her so well.

"What happened?" He asked, concerned about her.

"It doesn't really matter." She said sadly.

Dave watched her as her facial expression changed. He knew Emily very well, better than she probably knew herself, he also knew Aaron, and he knew that something had happened between them. He had always had a feeling, and his suspicions got confirmed a while ago, but he needed to make sure, he needed to be certain that what he was thinking was the truth.

"Can I ask you a question?" He asked, pulling her back from her thoughts.

"Of course."

"Why did you really move back, the hospital quality…I get that, but is there another reason?" He asked, crossing his legs and lacing his finger together.

"There are a lot of reasons, many of which I can't tell, it's too complicated." She said, looking away from him, thinking about her own mess of lies and hidden secrets.

"He's Bay's fathers, isn't he?" Dave asked, causing her to almost drop the cup of coffee she was holding in her hand.


	20. Chapter 20

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 20: Forced Confessions

Dave watched as her facial expression changed. He knew Emily very well, better than she probably knew herself, he also knew Aaron, and he knew that something had happened between them. He had always had a feeling, and his suspicions got confirmed a while ago, but he needed to make sure, he needed to be certain that what he was thinking was the truth.

"Can I ask you a question?" He asked, pulling her back from her thoughts.

"Of course." She replied.

"Why did you really move back, the hospital quality…I get that, but is there another reason?" He asked, crossing his legs and lacing his fingers together.

"There are a lot of reasons, many of which I can't tell you, it's too complicated." She said, looking away from him thinking about her own mess of lies and hidden secrets.

"He's Bay's fathers, isn't he?" Dave asked, causing her to almost drop the cup of coffee she was holding in her hand.

Emily placed the cup of coffee on the side table and stood up from the sofa and walked toward the window nervously avoiding Dave's gaze...her secret was out, she couldn't hide it anymore, and she knew if there was someone she couldn't lie to, it was Dave. She watched through the window at the dark night; she wanted to run away and disappear, but she couldn't, all her lies were finally catching up with her. Dave came from behind her and placed his hands softly on her arms because he didn't want to scare her.

"Em?" He called softly.

"You have to promise me you won't tell anyone about this, Dave. I can't tell anyone yet. It's too complicated." She said, as her eyes filled with tears.

"Emily, I'm not here to judge you, or to put you on trial, I'm here as your friend, you know you can count on me." He said gently, looking at her.

Emily just looked at him as tears rolled down her face, unable to utter a single word.

"Why don't you come and sit down." He gently took her hand and led her to the sofa.

They sat on the sofa but Emily couldn't face him, and she grasped her hands nervously.

"How did you?..." She asked after a while.

"You aren't all that hard to profile, Em, neither is Aaron." He said softly.

"I always suspected there was something between you two. The night you left, I could see Aaron's eyes all over you. I've never seen him look at anyone the way he was looking at you." He explained, and Emily finally raised her eyes to his level.

"That night, he offered to drive you back to your hotel, and I knew something had changed between you two...he returned to work a different person. I never saw him act like that. He was angry all the time, acting reckless and snapping at everyone. When you announced you were getting married, things got even worse. He was never the same after that." Emily listened to him, astonished.

"Then you returned, and I saw it again, how affected he was by your presence. I can put two and two together, I could see it in both your eyes."

"Then I met your daughter, and although I had seen pictures of her, I always had my doubts, but when I actually met her and interacted with her, I saw it all...not only the dimples or the eyes...Emily...she is the living picture of Aaron Hotchner. She has the same frown, the same smile, God, even when she laughs, I see Aaron." Dave said, smiling lightly at the stunned brunette.

"Dave, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about this, especially not Aaron, please." She begged.

"Of course not, Emily, it's not my story to tell, although I do think he deserves to know."

"He doesn't care, Dave, he never did." Emily reiterated.

"How do you know, she's his daughter, Emily, you can't hide her from him." She shook her head, as tears rolled down her face.

"No, Dave, all of this...me...her, has always been a game...all of it, and he is the biggest mistake I ever made." She said, looking down unable to look at him anymore.

"What happened?" Dave asked, gently taking her hand.

"When, now? Or, four years ago?" She asked, smirking.

"Whatever you want to tell me." Emily exhaled, as much as she hated that her secret was out, she felt kind of relieved that she was finally able to get it out after all this years.

"We were drunk, Dave, the night I left, I don't even know how it started. I guess I can start by him kissing me in the parking lot of the club...after that, it's all a big blur. I don't remember much, we went back to my hotel, and we drank some more, then we slept together. The next morning, I was so embarrassed and confused that I just left before he woke up." Emily paused for a second.

"Why did you leave, why not face him?" Dave questioned.

"I couldn't, I knew that night was just alcohol and sex for him; we hated each other for three years, and I knew that night meant nothing to him, so I didn't want to stay and have to deal with the embarrassment of him telling me it was a mistake and that he regretted it." She didn't even bother anymore as tears ran freely from her eyes, she hated to cry but Dave was her friend, and she knew he would never judge her.

"When I got back to London, I ran into my former fiance, Max...I needed a way to get Aaron out of my head...to forget about him...and I started a relationship with Max."

"You were in love with him, weren't you?" She proceeded to talk without answering his question. He finally got to fully understand her side, and it really pained him to see her hurting.

"When I found out I was pregnant, I didn't really think of Aaron at first, it took me so many years to get pregnant even when I wanted a baby really badly, and the doctor had said I could never conceive, so when I found out about Bay, I was already being intimate with Max, so I just assumed Bay was his." She explained, wiping her eyes.

"When did you know for sure?" Dave asked her gently.

"When she was born, but by then I had already married Max and my own mess of lies made me just keep up that masquerade. I knew Aaron would never care for her or me so I didn't want to hurt anyone especially not Max."

"I know it's selfish." She explained, as Dave gave her a questioning look.

"Back then, it was the only thing that made sense...I wanted to protect her...I wanted to give her a safe, loving home with a father that truly wanted her."

"Emily, I really do understand where you're coming from, but you can't just assume that Aaron wouldn't want her, even if that night was a mistake, he would have never walked away on his child...I know that...because I know him, more than you will ever know him."

"I know that now, Dave, I want to tell him, I really do. I just don't know how and right now, I don't even think it matters."

"What happened tonight, Em?"

"Nothing, just that I'm an idiot, I thought he really cared and loved me the way he said he did, and once again, I fell into his game...he used me again. He has a girlfriend, and I'm an idiot!"

"What are you talking about?"

"His girlfriend showed up at the BAU today." She said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Beth?" Emily just nodded.

"I thought they were over." Dave said, looking at her sadly.

"Well, apparently not." She said sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Emily, I never thought Aaron would do something like that, I didn't think he was capable of doing this." He was in shock, too.

"I never thought he was capable of many things, but he obviously was." She said, standing up from the sofa.

"It doesn't matter, Dave, it was for the best, I really need to focus my life on her and her recovery and that's all. She really is the most important thing for me." She said, looking in the direction where her baby girl was sleeping.

"You know I'm here for anything you need, or anything Bay needs." Dave said, standing up from the sofa and pulling Emily into a hug.

"I know, Dave, thank you for being here and for everything you've done for us."

"Emily, I hate that you are going through all of this, but I do think he deserves to know regardless of what he has done. Bay is his daughter, Emily, you can't hide that from him forever." He said gently, looking in her eyes deeply.

"I'll tell him, I just need to find a way." She said tiredly.

"The longer you wait, the harder it will be." Dave said, walking towards the door and waving his hand goodbye.

Emily just stood there looking at the empty space from where Dave had just walked out, her head was pounding, and she was exhausted. She needed to close her eyes for a moment and forget that day even happened. She sat by the window with a blanket over her lap as silent tears rolled down her face. _Why did she had to love Aaron so much, why had she been so stupid to believe on him, why did he hated her so much as to play with her the way he had_. _She hated to cry over a man like this; she hadn't actually cried like that for a man since high school, and back then she was a stupid, naïve teenager who didn't know any better, but now she was a grown woman, who was supposed to be mature enough to not be fooled by a man, and be played with, but no, she was careless and stupid, and she let her heart get involved and now, here she was crying and feeling sorry for herself for being so stupid and letting someone play with her feelings._

She wiped her eyes with the blanket knowing she had to be stronger than this and forget about Aaron Hotchner once and for all. She needed to focus on the little girl lying in the bed and dedicate the rest of her life to her. Emily knew Bay wasn't doing very well, she was starting to lose her beautiful hair already, and she knew the chemotherapy wasn't working they way it should. Maybe rather than being focused on her stupid and pathetic romantic life, she should focus on her daughter, and that was it. So, Emily vowed to herself she would focus on Bay only and get Aaron Hotchner out of her mind once and for all. She fell asleep on the chair that night, hoping things would get better soon, and hoping she would have the strength to face him everyday at work.

The next day, Emily woke up early to help Bay take a shower and spend some time with her before she had to go to work. She changed her baby girl into fresh new clothes and was sitting with her on her lap on the sofa feeding her oatmeal and watching a cartoon with her when Dr. Bergman walked in with one of the nurses.

"Good morning, Miss Prentiss." He said politely.

"Good morning, Dr. Bergman." Emily smiled.

"Good morning, sweetheart, how are you feeling today?" He asked, getting on his knees in front of Bay.

"Hi." Bay said tiredly, she was still worn out from the night before.

"Sorry to bother you, I was wondering if I may speak with you, Miss Prentiss." He said, in a tone that worried Emily. She looked at her daughter and the plate she was trying to feed her from, then back at the doctor.

"It's okay, Nurse Amy can stay with Bay, I was wondering if we may talk in my office." He said seriously.

"Ummm, okay, yes of course." Emily said, handing the oatmeal bowl to the nurse and then passing Bay from her lap to the nurse's arms.

"Mommy will be right back, okay, sweetheart?" She kissed Bay's forehead and followed Dr. Bergman to his office. She could see the tension in his eyes, and she was worried...she had a feeling that whatever it was he was about to say, it wasn't going to be good news.

"Come on in, Ms. Prentiss, sit down, please."

Emily nodded and took a sit in front of the doctor, he watched him sit down in front of her and she was sure that her suspicions where right and he was bout to deliver bad news.

"As you know, we've given Bay several rounds of chemotherapy hoping that it would kill the cancer cells." He explained...Emily just listened quietly, feeling the knot in her stomach grow.

"Unfortunately, we haven't gotten the result we were hoping for." Hearing that, Emily's heart dropped, and she had difficulty breathing.

"What do you mean?" She asked with a dry, raspy voice.

"The chemotherapy isn't working, the cancer cells keep growing, and there is no point in continuing to submit Bay to the pain and side effects of chemo when it isn't helping her." He explained.

"Then what can we do, I mean, there has to be something else, right?" She asked in a cracked voice with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"There are more options, yes, but with Bay's age and stage of cancer, we're talking about a lot of risk...if they don't work...the way we need them to work..."

"Then what do I do, you can't just let her die...you promise me you can help her...you have to!" Emily screamed, getting up from her chair.

"Ms. Prentiss, please calm down, please, let me explain this to you."

"Explain what! You can't just tell me you are giving up on my daughter...you can't...I won't allow it!" She screamed angrily.

"I'm not giving up on your daughter, Ms. Prentiss, there is another choice." ...Trying to make Emily calm down.

"Tell me what the choice is!" She snarled angrily.

"Please sit down so we can discuss it."

Emily whipped her eyes angrily and did as the doctor asked her.

"I have talked to other colleagues, and we all agree at this point, our best option would be a bone marrow transplant." Dr. Bergman explained gently.

"Okay, so let's do it! Let's go for it!" Emily did not hesitate.

"It's not that easy." Dr. Bergman explained.

"I don't care about the price, I have the money, my mother will help, too. It doesn't matter what the price is."

"This isn't about a monetary sum, Ms. Prentiss, that's the least important thing." He explained patiently.

"Then what is it? I'll do anything it takes." She cried.

"We first need to find a donor for the bone marrow."

"I'll do it, I'll donate anything for her."

"I know you will, but that doesn't mean you'll be a matching donor." He reasoned.

"I'm her mother, of course I am." She retorted angrily.

"Yes, you are, however, it's more complicated than that. Human leukocyte antigens are specific proteins on the surface of white blood cells and other cells. The combination of these proteins make each person's tissue type unique. HLA typing is a special blood test that identifies these proteins. A successful bone marrow transplant requires the donation of near-perfect, HLA-matched bone marrow." He explained.

"Okay, so then you can test if I can be a donor, right? If I'm not, we can move on from there." She said, desperately.

"Yes, we'll do that, however, I do want you to understand if you don't turn out to be a matching donor, we might have to consider other relatives, or anyone else who is willing to be a donor for Bay."

"Okay." Emily said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Ms. Prentiss, I need you to contact whomever it is that you think can be a donor for Bay. In the meantime, we'll do what we can. I'll also put you on the donors list, but I have to be honest with you about that...it might take years before we find a donor for her." Emily listened in shock, this couldn't be true, this had to be a lie!

"We'll find someone, who else can be a donor for her?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"Anyone that has a genetic connection to her, siblings, grandparents...what about Bay's father, would he be willing to get tested?" Dr. Bergman asked.

"I don't know." She said, because she didn't know what to say.

"Well, you might want to contact him...honestly, if you aren't a match, he is probably the best option we have."

Emily nodded, all of a sudden, she couldn't process, or think anymore, her ears were buzzing and she felt sick.


	21. Chapter 21

Unforgivable Nights, Unforgettable Mistakes

Chapter 21: Unforgivable Mistakes

Late that night, Emily walked into the BAU...it had been the worst day of her life, and she still couldn't get her head around everything she had learned that day. That morning, everything had changed for her in a matter of seconds. She had woken up with a broken heart, but ready to put everything that happened the night before behind her. She woke her baby girl up and got her showered and ready for breakfast; she knew Bay loved quality time with her and from now on, she made a promise to herself that she would try to spend as much time as possible with her daughter. So, after her shower, they both settled on the sofa to have breakfast, and she was ready to have a perfect day. She assumed she would go to work and try to get out early and come back, and then ask Dr. Bergman if he would allow her to take Bay out for dinner then to the movie theater. Emily wanted to focus her entire time on her daughter only. Unfortunately, her day changed completely that morning, when Dr. Bergman told her the treatment Bay had been receiving wasn't working the way they had wanted, therefore, Bay was getting worse daily, and there weren't many other options. She knew things weren't working the way she wished; even she could see it on her daughter. Bay had lost a great amount of hair and weight, and she was getting weaker every day.

All of a sudden, everything else stopped mattering and making sense for Emily; she had no idea things were this bad, and now she felt she had her back against the wall and she was forced to immediately make a decision. The worst decision a parent would ever have to make...she had run out of time, there was no more hiding, there was no more burying things deeper and deeper, Dave already knew and she should have known that it was just a matter of time before she had to tell Aaron the truth. She just didn't expect it to be less than 24 hours after she and Aaron had gotten into a major fight.

Emily had spent most of the morning at the hospital taking tests and talking with different pediatric oncologists about what was best for Bay next; unfortunately, they all agreed that Bay was getting worse and the only way to save her was by doing a bone marrow transplant. Now, of course, that would be a very delicate procedure and slightly painful for little Bay, but there was no other choice, and they were running out of time. They needed to act and they needed to act fast...the longer they waited, the worse Bay would get. So, they rushed to test Emily to see if she was a compatible donor for the bone marrow.

The test results turned out to be Emily's worst nightmare...she wasn't a matching donor for Bay; it broke her heart and it also terrified her. Emily had really prayed and hoped she could save her baby girl, but now, she was being punished for her mistakes and her own lies and secrecy, now, she was forced to let everything out, and it wasn't going to be easy or her, and she knew it wasn't going to be easy for Aaron. She had pictured a million ways to tell Aaron Hotchner that Bay was his daughter, but telling him that their daughter was about to die and Bay needed him, definitely wasn't on her list of scenarios. Emily had run out of time, she had to tell him, they needed a viable donor for Bay and they needed him now.

She had spent all morning trying to find ways to tell him, but she couldn't come up with something rational enough. Dr. Bergman told her every second they waited was a second missed to save Bay, so she realized that this was it, time was over, she needed to tell him and tell him now, so she got in her car and drove aimlessly and arrived at Quantico...she knew he was there, he always was...it was now or never.

She walked into the BAU and looked around; there was nobody around, but she saw Aaron at his desk working on some kind of paperwork. He looked deeply concentrated, she kept walking until she was standing in front of him. Aaron was working on a case file when he became aware of a presence before him.

"Emily, what are you doing here...are you alright?" He asked, immediately getting up. Emily, however, didn't respond...she didn't even know how to start.

"Dave told me there was something going with your daughter, and you had to take the day off, is everything okay?" He asked concerned, getting closer to her. He could see the tears that were threatening to fall down her face.

"I...I...can...I talk to you, please...in my office?" Emily asked nervously.

"Sure, are you okay?" Emily just walked to her office as he followed her; however, she was surprised by what was inside. She thought she had walked into a flower shop for a second, Every single corner of the office was covered in flowers of all shapes and sizes.

"What is going on in here!" She asked, speechless.

"Emily, I know we haven't had a chance to talk about what happened yesterday, but just hear me out, please..." She couldn't respond, her mind was so wrapped around everything...she had trouble thinking.

"Beth and I broke up a long time ago, and she doesn't seem to get the picture. I'm so sorry about what happened yesterday, I swear to you that I never lied to you, I really do love you, Emily, more than I ever loved anyone...just give me chance, please...don't end things with us, let me show you how I feel about you. Please, just give me a chance, I promise you that I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. We've already waited enough time...please, baby, let me show you how much I really love you." He got on his knees in front of her.

"Aaron, please." She said, shaking her head as tears rolled down her face.

"Please, Emily, just give me a chance...I love you, I know that you're it for me." He begged.

"I need to talk to you about something." She said, looking at him scared.

"Just tell me you'll give me a chance, please, Em. I love you more than I ever loved anyone."

"Aaron, stop, please, just stop! I need to talk to you first. This is important." She cried. He got up from the floor and looked at her.

"What's going on? Whatever it is, it can't be that bad. I'm here for you, no matter what."

Emily shook her head...she didn't know how to do this, she simply didn't have the words to start.

"It's about Bay..."

"Your daughter, what about her, is she okay?" He asked, concerned immediately.

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean, what's going on with Bay?" He showed real concern for the girl.

"The chemotherapy hasn't worked the way they had hoped it would, the cancer just keeps on going." Emily said, tears rolling down her face.

"Okay, so, what can they do, transfer her to another hospital...a better one? I'm sure there are many other choices of hospitals out there. We can talk to other doctors, I'm sure I know some very good doctors, I can contact them."

"She's already at the best hospital there is, Aaron. That's one of the reasons why we came back here."

"Okay, then what do you need, what can I do for you?"

"They're going to do another treatment on her, a more complicated one." She knew she was going around in circles, but she couldn't stop herself.

"So, what do you need...money? I can help you with that. I'll give you anything you want."

"No, Aaron, I don't need money, this isn't about money."

"Then, what is it, Em...just talk to me, please." Emily exhaled, she had to do this, it was now or never.

"They're doing a bone marrow transplant for her...it's an emergency procedure...they need to act soon. Unfortunately, I'm not a viable donor for her...who would have thought, right? I mean, I'm her mother. I should be able to save my daughter's life, but I'm not a matching donor." She said, sobbing with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Okay, what about Bay's father...can he be a donor? I mean, I know you two had your differences, but it's his daughter, right? he should be here for her." Emily closed her eyes...she had to tell him.

"That's why I'm here." She said, wiping her eyes and looking at him.

"Do you want me to talk to your ex?" He asked, confused.

"Max isn't Bay's father, Aaron." She said, before she once again lost her courage.

"Okay, I'm confused now, if he's not the father, then who's her father?" Aaron had no idea what was going on.

"I found out I was pregnant with Bay a couple months after I moved to London, and the only person I was with before Max...it was you." Words poured out of her mouth before she could stop them, all the while watching as his facial expressions changed.

"Wait, what? What are you talking about?" What the hell was going on, he didn't understand what she was saying.

"Bay is your daughter." She said in a shaky voice.

There was a long silence where neither of them knew what to say...it was one of those moments where if a pin had dropped, it would have been perfectly audible, a moment where she felt she wanted to die, she couldn't breath, or think anymore; there was an uncomfortable silence, where he just stood there staring at her like she had just slapped him on the face, or said something horrible to him.

"What did you just say?" He asked, astonished.

"Bay is your...she is your daughter, Aaron." She said again, in a scared voice.

"She is my daughter? She is my daughter!? He asked, raising his voice.

"Aaron..." She started, but all of a sudden Aaron broke that silence.

"She is my daughter...and you're just telling me now! I mean...are you serious?

"Aaron, I'm trying to explain." But, unfortunately, things got elevated pretty quickly.

"You mean to tell me that for the past four years you have lied to me? That you have hidden my daughter from me? How could you do this, Emily, how could you do something so low?" He screamed at her.

"I didn't lie to you, I...just..."

"You just what! You hide that kid away from me...what the hell is wrong with you! I mean, you come out of the blue and tell me I have a daughter, a daughter I didn't know anything about." He said angrily, hovering over her.

"Please calm down."

"Calm down? That's your answer to me? You just told me I have a child that you never told me about, and you want me to calm down." He asked harshly.

"Who the hell do you think you are to do this?" He snapped at her, loosing all sense of decorum.

"I didn't know she was yours..." She explained meekly.

"You didn't know she was mine? For God's sake, Emily, how stupid do you have to be to know when a female has sex with two different people and then she gets pregnant, there is a possibility that both of those men could be the father!" She knew he had all the right to be mad, she just never expected him to react this way.

"Look, there is a lot to explain, and I know you're angry, but Bay really needs you right now, she is getting worse and without a bone marrow donor, she can die." She explained as tears rolled down her eyes.

"Oh, and that is my fault?" My daughter is lying in a hospital bed dying, and you sat there and let her get worse and not once did you have the decency to tell me she was my child!?" He said, screaming at her.

"I couldn't tell you." She cried.

"You couldn't tell me? You hid my child away from me for the past four years...when were you planning to tell me...on the day of her funeral?"

"Don't say that, stop, please." She begged as she cried and heavy tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Are you even sure she is mine?" He asked furiously.

"Excuse me?" Emily said, very offended.

"I mean, you lie to me about her existence, you lie to your husband about him being the father. for all I know, there could be another man, maybe you should find out how many men you did sleep with before you come and try to foster me with a child." He said harshly.

"That's not fair, Aaron." She cried out, hurt.

"I can't be around you right now, actually I can't be around you at all, I simply can't." He said angrily, slamming the office door and leaving Emily alone in the office, crumpled into a heap, sobbing.

She stayed there for what seemed like forever. Aaron had filled the room with flowers for her, she stood there looking at all the flowers. _Once again, he had told her that he loved her and he wanted a chance with her; unfortunately, those feelings had changed in a matter of minutes as soon as she dropped the "you have a daughter bomb", and in that minute, Emily could see the anger and the hatred building up in his eyes toward her...this was it, Aaron Hotchner hated her more than anything in this world._ She took her time to compose herself, then she headed out of the office.

As heartbroken as she was and as hurt as she felt, she needed to act soon...Bay's days where numbered, and there was no time to sit around crying and feeling sorry for herself, after all, this was her fault and only her fault, Aaron had walked out on her the minute she told him he had a daughter, as she thought he would, and the worst part was, he had insinuated Bay wasn't even his. That was what hurt her the most...she knew he was mad and he had every right to be, but after she told him Bay could die and she really needed him, he still walked away and left her. He didn't care about his daughter, he didn't give a damn that the little girl was lying in a hospital bed struggling for her life, he just didn't care...he didn't want anything to do with her or his daughter, and that really broke her heart.

She got in her car crying because she needed to get back to the hospital to be with her daughter, and if he didn't want to be there for her, then that was fine with Emily. Emily would just find someone that would be a viable donor for Bay...she would contact her mother, Emily knew her mother could help, she would pull some strings and maybe help her find a donor, or maybe even put herself on the waiting list. Yes, it sounded wrong, but she didn't care, she was going to save her daughter's life, no matter what she had to do, and she knew her mother had contacts and knew people. Everything would be fine, she just had to calm down, everything would be okay; she pulled out her phone and dialed the number without thinking about it twice.

"Hello..." The sleepy voice answered.

"Mom?" Emily said, holding back her tears.

"Emily, what's going on? Are you okay?" The ambassador sat up in bed, turning on the night lamp. Emily choked on her own tears, unable to utter a word she was sobbing so hard.

"What's going on, sweetheart? Emily, talk to me!"

"It's Bay, " That was all she was able to say.

"Oh Lord, is she okay? Please tell me what's going on!"

"She is not, mom, we need a donor, or she is going to die! My baby girl is going to die. I can't...I just can''t." She sobbed on the phone.

"Emily, calm down, please, I'm on my way to the hospital, everything will be fine, sweetie, I promise you, just hold on, I'll be right there." Elizabeth hung up the phone and rushed to get dressed.

Emily closed her phone and wiped her eyes; she needed to get back to the hospital to Bay, she knew her mother would meet her there, and they would find a solution together. Emily knew it, she might have had a rough relationship with her mother as a child and as a teenager, but she knew her mother would not let Bay die. Elizabeth Prentiss would pull whatever strings she had to and would make sure nothing bad happened to Bay. She drove to the hospital and parked in the lot; now, all she wanted to do was be with her daughter. Tiredly, Emily made her way to her daughter's room; however, she was met with a huge surprise when she got there. None other than Aaron Hotchner was in the room with Bay, and Emily's mouth dropped open.

"Mommy..." Bay cried when she saw her mother. Emily stood there speechless without knowing what to say. She looked at Bay and then at Aaron, totally in shock.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, astonished. But, before Aaron could respond Bay spoke...

"Mommy look, this is my friend I told you about...Michael." Aaron just closed his eyes... he knew this moment would come, right now he didn't feel like he needed to explain himself,.

"What!?" She asked, with her mouth agape.

"My friend, Michael, remember? You said you wanted to meet him." Bay said happily.

Aaron looked at her angrily; in fact, they were both looking at each other angrily like a pair of porcupines ready to attack.

"Michael?" She smirked angrily.

"That's my middle name, not that I have to give you any explanations." He said harshly.

Of course, she should have seen this, she should have guessed something, with all the presents and weird visits. The flowers, it all made sense now; this was so like him, why didn't she see it before. He was the mystery friend that had been sneaking around and visiting Bay and giving her presents behind her back. She could feel the anger running through her veins...all this time, she had been trying to protect Bay from him, making sure he didn't see her until her secret was out, and it turned out he already knew Bay, and he had already spent time with her. He had done it behind her back, she just couldn't believe this!

"Are you serious!? You came and visited my daughter behind my back, and you don't think I deserve an explanation, what the hell is wrong with you?" She snapped.

"What's wrong with me?" He snapped back angrily.

"She's my..." He screamed, but she stopped him before he could get any other words out.

"Aaron, please, not in front of her." She begged, crying.

"Why, are you planning to lie to her, too, forever?" He asked boldly.

"What's going on, mommy?" Bag asked, scared because her mommy and Michael were fighting loudly.

"Nothing, baby, mommy needs to talk to your friend, Michael." She said angrily, emphasis on "Michael".

They both stepped out of the room closing the door and making sure Bay's ears were shielded from the conversation they were about to have.

"Michael? Really? Are you out of your fucking mind...how could you do this?" She asked angrily.

"How could I do what, come and visit my daughter? The daughter you kept away from me on purpose?" He responded with fire in his eyes.

"I didn't keep her away from you on purpose." Emily responded in a pleading voice.

"You didn't? Then, explain to me why is it that you never told me about her existence until now?" Aaron was so mad he was shaking.

"If Bay wasn't this sick, you would have never told me about her, I know you wouldn't." Emily shook her head, denying that she would have kept Bay's existence from him.

"You kept my child away from me, why Emily, just tell me why?" This conversation was just going around in circles, and they weren't getting anywhere.

"I tried to explain." She said tiredly, one more time.

"There is nothing to explain, Emily... you are a liar, an impostor, and a whore...that's enough explanation for me, and..." But, before he could finish his insults, she slapped him hard across the face, leaving a very red handprint.

"Do not talk to me like that!...especially not in front of my daughter!" She hissed, with fire in her eyes.

"SHE'S MY DAUGHTER, TOO, AND YOU KEPT HER AWAY FROM ME!" He was seething.

"I made a mistake, Aaron, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but right now, she needs help and screaming at each other isn't going to get her that help." She said furiously.

"Well, your mistakes could have cost her life, if anything happens to her it's your fault; you'd better pray that we're still in time to save her, because I swear, Emily, if something happens to her, you have no idea what I'm capable of doing." He said, with fire in his eyes.

"Do not dare to threaten my daughter, Agent Hotchner! Because I can guarantee that if you come anywhere near her, you will regret it!" Elizabeth Prentiss said, looking at him with poison in her eyes.

"Ambassador Prentiss." He said, lowering his tone.

"I think it's better if you leave, Agent Hotchner." She ordered, walking closer to them.

"Ambassador, I think we all need to calm down." Aaron suggested.

"Let me repeat myself, Agent Hotchner, YOU NEED TO LEAVE NOW!" She said, in a very harsh tone that left room for discussion.

Aaron turned to look at Emily with hatred in his eyes.

"You and I are over, I would do anything for her, anything it takes to save her, but you and I are over, you are dead to me!" He said through piercing eyes.

"I will give you five seconds to leave before I call security." The ambassador said, stepping between him and Emily.

With that, he had no choice but to leave. Emily stood there with tears rolling down her face when her mother turned to her; she was sure her mother was going to yell at her for everything she had done, for the lies, for hiding Bay's father's identity, and she was ready to hear it all...how she was a disappointment and a failure of daughter, instead her mother turned to her with a warm and kind smile and said...

"Everything is going to be okay, no matter what, I'm here, Emily." Emily nodded, unable to stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks as her mother pulled her into her arms.


	22. Chapter 22

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 22: Mother, Daughter and Granddaughter

When Elizabeth was sure Emily was calm enough and not going to lose it, she took her back into the room after Aaron had left, hoping she could shift her attention to something else. As soon as Bay saw her grandmother, her little face lit up, something that made Emily smile; Emily loved that Bay and her mother had such a great relationship; in fact, Bay adored her grandmother. Emily figured it was because Grandma Elizabeth spoiled her rotten, and she was always so sweet with Bay, she would play any kind of game Bay wanted with her and answer all her questions no matter how many of them there were...she never got tired. Emily loved that side of her Mom, and of course, that was what grandparents were for, but it was nice to see that sweet, loving, spoiling side of her Mom. Elizabeth helped Emily bathe Bay, and they even had dinner together as a family. Bay was overjoyed, although she was weaker every day, she was still happy to have her Mommy and her grandma with her. After dinner was done, Elizabeth grabbed a bunch of blankets and placed them by the couch then she picked Bay up in her arms and smiled at both her and Emily.

"Well, I think it's time for a story before bedtime." Elizabeth said happily.

"Yay, Grandma, I want a story." Bay cried happily.

"Oh, Grandma is reading us a story? I sure don't want to miss that." Emily teased.

After they settled the Prentiss women onto the sofa with Bay on Elizabeth's lap, and Emily cuddled on the sofa next to them, Elizabeth proceeded to tell them a story.

"Grandma, but we don't have a book!" Bay reasoned.

"Oh, it's okay, sweetie, we don't need a book, Grandma knows all kinds of fun stories, but if you wait until tomorrow, I will buy you all the books you could want." She said sweetly.

"Yes, and can we get another horsey for me?" Bay said, with puppy dog eyes.

"You can have as many horseys you want." Bay applauded happily.

"Can we also get a movie, Grandma, can we?" She pleaded.

"Bay!" Emily reprimanded the little girl and watched as her face turned into a pout.

"Oh, it's okay, honey, you can get anything you want, Grandma loves you and will get you anything that you want." She said, scolding Emily with her eyes.

Emily just rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Okay, so I will tell you the story now." Elizabeth said, hugging Bay closer to her and covering her with the blanket. Emily also covered herself with the blanket, and then listened contently as her mother began telling the story.

" _Once upon a time, there was an old goat who had seven little kids, and loved them with all the love of a mother for her children. One day, she wanted to go into the forest and fetch some food, so she called all seven to her and said,_

 _"Dear children, I have to go into the forest, be on your guard against the wolf, if he comes in, he will devour you all - skin, hair, and everything. The wretch often disguises himself, but you will know him at once by his rough voice and his black feet."_ The Ambassador faked a sweet goat voice, putting big smiles on both Emily's and Bay's face.

"Wait, I think I know this story." Emily said, all of a sudden.

"I've heard it somewhere." She said, trying to think.

"Well, of course, you have, dear. I told you this story a bunch of times when you were a child." Elizabeth said, and Emily smiled wider...now she remembered it.

"Now, please, don't interrupt me when I'm talking." She reprimanded, and Emily and Bay both laughed, then got silent so they could continue listening to the story.

" _The kids said, "Dear mother, we will take good care of ourselves, you may go away without any anxiety." Then the old one bleated and went on her way with an easy mind._

 _It was not long before someone knocked at the house door and called, "Open the door, dear children, your mother is here, and has brought something back with her for each of you." But the little kids knew that it was the wolf, by the rough voice."_ The Ambassador continued telling the story until it was over, by then Bay was sound sleep in her arms, and Emily was comfortable on the sofa looking at her daughter.

"She is out like a light." Elizabeth pointed out.

"She is, you know she loves it when you come by." Emily smiled sadly. Elizabeth squeezed her hand gently.

"I love my granddaughter, and I will do anything in my power to make sure she's fine, that both you and her are fine." She told Emily.

"I know you would, thank you, Mom. I really appreciate this." She didn't want to cry,.. she was too tired to do it.

"Let's put Bay to bed, shall we?" Elizabeth stood up from the sofa and took Bay to her bed, then returned and made some hot tea for both her and Emily and joined her daughter on the sofa handing her the cup of tea.

"I know you deserve an explanation." Emily started.

"You don't have to explain anything, Emily, you just need to know that I love you, and I'm here for you. I know I've been a horrible mother, but you're my daughter, and I'll always love you and protect you no matter what." Elizabeth smiled kindly.

"You weren't a horrible mother, I think I was a horrible child." Emily said, smiling, they both laughed and sipped on the hot tea.

"The night before I left for London, my friends gave me a going away party, there was a lot of alcohol involved, and he and I ended up...you know..." Emily said, looking at her cup of tea.

"I always had the impression you two hated each other." Elizabeth said warmly.

"We...did...or at least I thought we did...something happened that night...something in his eyes, it was different, it wasn't just sex, I know it wasn't for both of us." Elizabeth just listened as her daughter talked.

"By the time I moved to London and got back together with Max, I realized maybe everything was a mistake, and it was all in my head, so when I found out about Bay, I really wanted a baby, Mom, you know I always did; I know I made a very big mistake by not telling Aaron, but too much had happened, and truthfully, there were possibilities Max was the father, too. I just wanted to be happy, you know." A single tear rolled down her cheeks.

"But, you weren't happy with Max...you never were." Her mother said.

"Max was an amazing man, just not the one for me." She smiled sadly at her Mom.

"You think Aaron Hotchner is?" Her mother asked.

"I don't know and obviously it doesn't matter...he hates me...you heard him." She said, as another tear rolled down her cheeks.

"I don't think he hates you, I think he is mad...he just found out he has a kid. For a man that isn't usually an easy thing..."

"It's all my fault, Mom, I'm a horrible person, not only did I hurt Aaron, but I also hurt Max and even Bay."

"Oh dear, you're not a horrible person, you made a mistake, Emily...you're a human, we all made mistakes." Elizabeth said, getting closer to her.

"Not this kind of mistake, Mom." She cried. Elizabeth smiled.

"You know, when I first met your father, we were in college, and he was engaged to another woman, but back then, I knew I had to have him." Emily looked at her mother in shock, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Oh my God, you stole my dad?" She asked, teasing her mother.

"No, I didn't steal your dad, we were both in love with each other, he didn't love that woman. I just did what any other woman in love would do." Elizabeth explained gently.

"You stole my dad...you did, I can't believe it, everything I've ever known about my childhood, it's always been a lie. No wonder I'm so twisted!" Emily said dramatically, teasing her mother because she couldn't stop herself.

"Emily!" The Ambassador reprimanded her. Emily smiled widely...it had been a while since she and her mother had a nice talk like this; in fact, she couldn't remember when the last time they talked like this was...it felt so good.

"So, what happened...dad was engaged...and how did you steal him?" Emily asked curiously, she had never heard about their parents past, it was kind of intriguing and nice.

"Your father wasn't in love with that woman, 'Louise Goldstein' was her name...horrible woman...your dad deserved so much better." Emily laughed and made the sound of a cat screeching and burst into laughter when her mother scolded her with her eyes.

"So, what happened?" She asked curiously.

"Well, your dad left her when he found out." The Ambassador stopped...

"When he found out what?" She hated the suspense.

"He left her when he found out I was pregnant with you." She said simply, looking at her daughter. Emily's mouth dropped, and she was unable to say anything else.

"Your dad and I loved each other, Emily, very much, he was an amazing man, and always made me smiled. When he died, he told me that he had never been as happy than when he was with me. I knew back then I had done the right thing." Her Mom said, smiling widely.

"Oh, Mom." Emily pulled her into a hug.

"You know, I miss Dad a lot, too." She said as she smiled at her mother.

"I know your Dad is watching out for both of us and for Bay, and he will not let anything happen to her. You were his life and entire joy, you know that? He always said you would turn out great, and you have." She told Emily.

"I don't know how to fix all of this...all this mess." Emily cried.

"Give things time. dear, I spoke to several friends on my way here...Gerald Lombard is a close friend who owes me a favor, he is one of the best oncologist in the nation...now, he doesn't specialize in pediatrics, but he can be a lot of help, if Aaron can't help Bay, Gerald will contact his connections and find a donor for Bay by the end of the week." Elizabeth smiled.

"Oh Mom, you have no idea..." Emily said, crying as heavy tears rolled down her cheeks, and her Mom pulled her to her for another hug and then wiped her eyes.

"We will get through this, Emily, I swear to you, we'll save Bay and everything will be fine." She said, pulling a pillow onto her lap and patting it so Emily could lay her head down on it. Emily smiled and placed her head on the pillow as her mother ran her fingers through her hair and massaged her head gently.

"If he loves you, really loves you, he will understand, and he will forgive you. Just give him time, dear." Emily smiled and closed her eyes as her mother massaged her scalp gently, and she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

A/N: Sorry to take so long to post this short chapter, but school has been eating me alive these past few weeks and just wanted to let y'all know I haven't forgotten you. Hope you're still enjoying our story, and I'll try and get another update for you to enjoy posted this next week. Thanks for being so patient, we really appreciate it.


	23. Chapter 23

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 23: To Hell...and Back

Things went from bad to hell between Emily and Aaron over the next couple of weeks. As Emily had expected, Aaron was beyond furious to learn that Bay was his daughter and Emily had hidden her from him for so many years. He simply couldn't understand why she had hidden something so important. Well, he actually understood it because they weren't really on the best of terms back then, but she should have told him, even if it was true that they hated each other. He had the right to know, no matter what because Bay was his daughter. But no, she chose to not tell him and then raise his daughter away from him making his blood boil every time he tried to think about all the things he missed out in Bay's life, thanks to Emily.

In fact, if it wasn't because she was very ill and she needed him to be a donor for Bay, Aaron was sure he would have never found out about Bay; he was angry, no, he was furious, but more than that, he was truly hurt…how could she have done this, how could she cause him so much pain. The woman he had fallen in love with, the woman he considered his saving grace and his one true love, it was this woman that had hurt him more than anyone else in his life. Aaron felt Emily had used him, lied to him and most importantly, she had denied him the right to see and get to know his daughter. He didn't think he could ever forgive Emily for what she had done; he actually never thought he would say that, but he felt like he hated her more than anything in this world, the worst part of all was that she was the mother of his daughter and now he was obligated to have some kind of respect for her, so he couldn't even hate her the way he wanted. Emily had tried to explain to him over and over the reason she had done what she had done, but he didn't want to listen to any of her reasons. No matter what she said, or what she did, it was never enough; no matter where they were, they always ended up in a big fight and nothing was getting resolved so things between them were getting worse and worse.

Well, actually that wasn't the truth…something had been resolved…Aaron had been tested by the doctors about his compatibility as a donor to Bay, and miraculously, he was a perfect match to the little girl, so, the results made them somewhat happy, and they had moved a step forward. They could start the surgery for Bay soon, and on the other hand, Aaron was relieved internally, as weeks had gone by, he had become very attached to Bay, as he now spent every single minute he had off with Bay at the hospital. Aaron knew he loved her already, and he had since the first day he had met her, but deep inside him there was this strange feeling, this worry that kept him up at night…what if Bay wasn't his?

In his mind, Aaron felt he had all the reasons in the world not to trust Emily or believe a single word she uttered, for he knew she could be lying about him being Bay's father, too. After all, there was no paternity test that had confirmed Bay was his, and at this point, he knew Emily was capable of anything so he didn't trust her, he simply didn't want to fall in love with Bay then to find out she wasn't his. But the test result had not confirmed that he was, indeed, Bay's father, but that he was the only one that could save her and help her, so he immediately signed all the documents and waivers that were given to him, before they proceeded with the surgery. As much as he wanted them to begin

the surgery process immediately and fix his daughter, he knew this process was more complex than that; they first had to do another blood transfusion and give her some other medicine and vitamins to build her body up so she was strong enough to go through the surgical process. This had become a waiting game now, Aaron was a viable donor for Bay, but now the doctors had to make sure she was ready for the surgery and her body would accept the transplant. That was the reason for the blood transfusion and the vitamin treatment, and then in a few weeks, they would schedule the surgery; meanwhile, they just had to wait and try to keep Bay calm and spend as much time as they could with her.

Of course, for Emily things were getting worse, and she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown or a heart attack. She had even considered stepping down as Unit Chief and just focus on Bay, but she knew Strauss wasn't going to let her off that easily, since Strauss was still on very bad terms with Aaron. The worst part was that now Emily was also on very bad terms with Aaron, and it was just making everything much more difficult on her. Between the stress at work and dealing with cases, and Bay's surgery approaching soon, Emily was sure she was going to end up having a heart attack or at the very least a panic attack. On top of that, Aaron wasn't helping her at all, they couldn't even begin a decent conversation even if it was work related, without ending up in a big fight and screaming at each other. She knew Aaron was hurt and angry, but she was tired of explaining and trying to make him understand, and honestly, she just didn't have the energy anymore.

She ran her hand through her hair frustrated, as she looked at the man who still held her heart; he had initially come into her office to talk about a case, then the subject had switched to Bay and the fight started again. They were both anxious and stressed about the surgery, but sometimes Emily felt like he was intentionally picking all these fights, and she didn't know what to do anymore. The entire fight had started because Aaron kept trying to push Emily into telling Bay he was her real father, something she knew was fair, but she wasn't sure right now was the best time to tell her since Bay was about to go through surgery, and she was already having a really hard time accepting her illness. Bay was also having issues because mommy wasn't around all the time, and Emily just wanted to make sure Bay was fine and healthy before they told her, but obviously, Aaron had a different opinion, and he had tried to persuade Emily on several occasions to tell Bay, none of which had ended well.

"Aaron, please, just don't start this again, okay? I thought we'd already talked about this a million times." She said tiredly.

"Yes, we have, and yet, you haven't told Bay I'm her father. I'm her father, Emily, she deserves to know. Are you going to lie to her the same way you lied to me?" He asked boldly and Emily just shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"No, Aaron, all I'm saying is we should wait until after the surgery when she is well again...she is already having such a hard time as it is and she's growing weaker daily."

"Oh, and that is another thing that is my fault?" He asked, irritated.

"I didn't say that…I just think this might be really hard for her to understand...she has always seen Max as her father. We can't just through her out into the wind by telling her that she has another father, not while she is so ill and so young, too young to understand."

"You chose it that way, Emily, maybe you could explain to her why you never told her the truth...why all of this is a mess...because of all your lies and bullshit."

"Enough, okay!" She snapped.

"I don't know how many times I have to say that I'm sorry for what I did, for not telling you about Bay, and no matter what I say, you won't listen or even try to understand. I had to do what I thought was best at the time to protect my daughter and to secure her happiness." She cried.

"Obviously, your selfish plan didn't work out too well, look where she is now." He said evilly.

"It's not my fault she's sick, Aaron." She said, hurt.

"No, you're right, it isn't your fault she's almost dying because you were too proud to tell her father about her existence. If I had known about Bay from the beginning, none of this would have happened. We would have known I was a viable donor." He added angrily.

'I'm sorry about what I did, Aaron, okay? I swear that if I could have gone back in time, I would have told you when she was born. I don't know what else to say to you."

"If I could go back on time, I would have never gotten involved with you."

With those words, Aaron hurt Emily more than anyone else had ever hurt her, and he walked out of the office leaving her there alone and crying. She was so tired of this, no matter what she did he always acted like that with her, she was more than exhausted and she knew deep inside her that everything between her and Aaron was over, even if they had a daughter.

She drove aimlessly back from the office to the hospital, but that was all she was doing lately…she was basically a robot that managed to move around, but she wasn't sure she was conscious of anything else. She just hoped Bay's surgery would be scheduled soon, and her baby girl would be better and then everything else would return to normal. Even if she had lost Aaron forever, she didn't care, all that mattered to her was to save Bay and dedicate the rest of her life to making it up to her, making her happy. Emily walked inside the hospital making her way to Bay's room. No matter how hard her day had been, Bay always made her feel better.

Her heart almost dropped when she walked into the room and Bay wasn't in her bed. Emily immediately hurried to the reception area, asking if they had taken Bay for a test, or any other medical procedure that they hadn't told her about. She felt her heart starting to beat a million times per hour.

"I'm sorry, my daughter Bay isn't in her room, and I was wondering if she was with the doctors." She asked, scared.

"One...second." The blonde nurse said.

"Actually, no, her father asked for permission to take her out." The nurse explained.

"What? Take her out? Take her out where?" Emily asked angrily.

"We don't know, ma'am, he just said he wanted to take her out, he spoke with Dr. Bergman."

"You don't know? How could you allow him to take my daughter like that?" Emily raised her voice.

"I want to speak with Dr. Berman NOW!" Emily had never been so terrified in her life.

Dr. Bergman came down a few minutes later as Emily was pacing around the hall angrily.

"Ms. Prentiss, is everything alright?" He asked concerned.

"No, everything is not alright." Emily jumped on Dr. Bergman as soon as she saw him.

"My daughter isn't in her room, and I was told you gave permission for her to be taken out of the hospital." Emily said furiously.

"Ms. Prentiss, Bay is with your husband, he wanted to take Bay out before the surgery."

"He is not my husband, and he cannot just take Bay anytime he wants to, that is against the law!" Emily was so mad she was shaking.

"Ms. Prentiss, he is registered as Bay's father in all the hospital documents you guys signed last week." He explained.

"But, he didn't have permission to take my daughter.

"If he is the father, we can't deny him the right to visit her, or take her, legally he has the right to do so."

Emily just walked away angrily; she couldn't believe Aaron had come and taken  
Bay without her permission…she just simply couldn't believe it. She knew Aaron would never harm Bay, but they weren't really on the best of terms, and she had been opposed to telling Bay the truth about him being her father, and she knew he wasn't very happy about that. But, even then he had crossed the line…he had no right to simply take Bay from the hospital without her notice. She didn't have a problem with him spending time with Bay because he was her father, but he should have informed Emily if he had plans with her, especially if those plans involved taking her out.

She was beyond furious, and she immediately tried to call him, and as she had expected, his phone went straight to voice mail. At this point, Emily was freaking out, she was desperate to find out where he had taken Bay, she even considered calling the police, but she knew Aaron would never harm Bay or disappear with her per se, but she was freaking out as any mother would. Finally, she called her mother, and Elizabeth came by to try and help calm Emily down.

Meanwhile, Aaron was at a horse stable with Bay; he had decided to take her somewhere where she would really enjoy herself and forget about the horrors of the hospital. He had promised her a while back that he would take her to see a real horse, and he was a man of his word. So, here they were at the horse stables, and Bay was so excited she could hardly stand it. He had managed to rent a nice black horse that he and Bay rode around the field for a while; of course, Bay was weaker than ever, and she was riding with Aaron while he held her close. But, she was smiling wider than she had in a very long time. Bay had gotten the opportunity to play around and even feed the horses; she got to pet them and even brush their manes. She was beyond ecstatic, and when Aaron told her they were going to ride the horse, Bay's face lit up like a bright light bulb, and he could see the spark in her eyes which hadn't been there in so long. He loved to make her smile and make her happy; he knew he had a lot to make up to her for not being in her life for her first couple of years, and although it wasn't his fault, he still felt like he needed to make it up to her. He was very angry because Emily didn't want to tell Bay yet that he was her father and that really hurt him, but he knew deep inside him she had a point. Bay was very ill now and was having a very difficult time at the hospital with all the treatments she was receiving. She was also feeling moody and constantly crying because mommy wasn't there with her, and he knew she was too little to understand what was going on and was probably terrified. Telling her that she had a different father wasn't going to be easy on her, so maybe Emily was right about waiting until after surgery. But, he was aching inside to tell her he loved her more than anything in this world and that he was her father and he would do anything for her. He wanted to explain to her why he hadn't been there, but how happy he was to know such a beautiful girl was his, and how proud he was of that. Aaron honestly knew he couldn't do it yet, and that made him even angrier with Emily. As they slowly rode the gorgeous black horse around, Bay rested against his chest, covered up in a blanket and holding the horse leash with Aaron; he could see her tired face, but she was smiling widely.

"Are you having fun, sweetie?" He asked, pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Yes, Aaron, do you think we can come again to see the horsies? I want to ride on my own by myself?" Bay said happily.

"I think we can do that, but you have to be stronger, maybe after your surgery. I promise you we'll come back and you can ride a pony." Aaron said gently.

"I don't want to ride a pony, they're for babies…I'm not a baby. I want to ride a big horse like this one." Bay protested.

"I know, sweetie, but when you first start riding, you have to start with a little horse so you can learn." He tried to reason, but Bay shook her head vigorously.

"I want a big horse, or I won't ride at all." She protested. Aaron just laughed…she was just as stubborn as her mother, in fact, Bay was so much like Emily in so many ways, it was almost scary.

"Okay, alright, we'll get you a big horse, but now I think it's time to go back to the hospital."

"But, I don't want to go back..."

"I know, baby, but your mommy must be very worried about you. I promise you we'll come back." He said, heading back to the stables.

When they got back to the stables and after Aaron thanked his friend, they headed to the hospital. Aaron had left his cellphone in the car and when he picked it up, he realized he had at least twenty missed calls, all from Emily. He knew he was in deep shit, but she was his daughter and he had the right to spend time with her, whether she liked it or not.

As soon as he stepped in the hospital with Bay in his arms, he saw Emily pacing around the room furiously with Elizabeth Prentiss by her side. He didn't need to be a genius to know Emily was beyond angry because he saw the fire in her eyes the minute their eyes met.

"Mommy!" Bay screamed happily, throwing herself into her mother's arms.

"Oh baby, are you okay? Where did you go?" Emily asked, holding Bay as if her life depended on it, as silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

"We went to see the horsies, mommy, I got to ride a pretty black horsie." Bay said contently.

"I've been so worried about you, are you okay, are you hurt in any way?" Emily asked, examining Bay everywhere her eyes could reach. That made Aaron somewhat uncomfortable, it wasn't as if he was going hurt his own daughter.

"I'm okay, mommy, why are you crying?" Bay asked as he saw the tears in her mother's eyes.

"Sweetheart, go with grandma, okay. I'll be there in a few minutes? Emily said, placing Bay in her mother's arms. Elizabeth didn't need to say anything, the scalding look she sent in Aaron's direction was enough for him to know he had fucked up badly.

"Okay, mommy, bye Aaron, thank you for taking me to see the horsies." Bay smiled.

Aaron didn't even have a chance to respond to Bay or even say goodbye to her before Elizabeth angrily took Bay away. Emily turned to him her eyes burning into his, and before he had a chance to say anything at all, she slapped him hard across the face.

"What the hell is the matter with you!?" Emily screamed angrily. Aaron was taken aback and stood there speechless with a very red handprint on his face after Emily slapped him.

"Emily...I..." He started.

"You can't take my daughter like that...do you have any idea how worried I've been?" She said, pushing him away from her angrily.

"Emily, calm down." Aaron was aghast at her reaction.

"DON'T tell me to calm down...you can't just take my daughter anywhere period?" Emily's face was on fire as if she was ready to attack him any minute.

"I just took her to see the horses with a friend of mine." He said in an even tone.

"I don't care where you took her, you can't just take my child without letting me know, or asking me first. I mean, do you have any idea how worried I was? I thought something had happened to her." Emily said as heavy tears rolled down her cheeks. She was almost hysterical, and honestly, he couldn't really blame her…he knew he had done wrong by taking Bay without her consent.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to take her somewhere fun, somewhere away from this place, this is all she sees.

You could have fucking called and asked me, you could have said something!" Emily screamed again.

"I'm sorry, okay." He apologized again.

"You can't see her anymore, not like this. I won't allow you to see her unless someone else is with you." She said, wiping her eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean, she is my daughter, Emily, you can't forbid me to see her. I'm her damn father!" He said angrily.

"Well, technically, you're not even on her birth certificate, so for all I care, I can press charges against you for taking Bay like this." Emily said furiously.

"Are you fucking serious? She is my child, Emily, you can't do that! I have a right to see her!" Aarons snapped.

"It doesn't matter if you are her father, Aaron, you can't just take a child without her mother's consent, and you should know that better than anyone." Emily snapped back.

"Emily, I'm sorry, okay? Please, let's calm down and talk about this." Aaron finally calmed down because he knew Emily was right.

"I have nothing else to talk to you about, we're done here!" Emily said, giving him a death glare and furiously walking away from him.

He knew he had badly fucked things up, and Emily was right about many things; he knew it was wrong to take Bay away from the hospital without letting her know. He knew she had probably been terrified, and he understood that…if someone had taken Jack away and didn't let him know he would probably be acting the same way. He knew things between them were going from bad to worse and there was nothing he could do to fix that at the moment.

He also knew as much as he hated to feel this way, he still loved her very much, more so even now that he had found out they had a child together. He knew that they would probably never be together again and that hurt him, but it wasn't his fault…he had not hidden anything from her. Admittedly, he had made mistakes, but not as horrible as hers, he loved her, but he loved his daughter, too, and he was willing to do anything it took to be a part of her life, but he knew it was going to be harder now. Emily was already being difficult about telling Bay the truth, even though she was right about Bay being too ill and maybe even too young, but Aaron believed he knew internally that she was scared of her own mistakes. He knew he had a right to fight for Bay, and he was going to do it…he had one last option, and although he hated to have to do that, he knew he had no choice. Emily had hidden Bay from him for the past four years and God knew what else she was hiding. So, Aaron was ready to do anything to be a part of his daughter's life, even if that meant war with Emily.

A week after the incident in the hospital, Emily and Aaron had not said a word to each other. Emily was still very angry and had refused to let Aaron around Bay by himself. Things were very tense, and he knew they were about to get worse because the surgery was also soon approaching and all the stress was building up on both of their parts…this wasn't an easy situation for any of them; he sat in his chair at his desk, looking through the window of her office. She looked paler than usual and very tired, he was also sure she had lost weight; the dark circles under her eyes were so evident that she looked like a panda. It really pained him to see her like that, because he loved her. As hurt as he was and as mad as he was, he still cared for her. She was the mother of his daughter and the woman he had loved for many years, and he knew that she had made a mistake, but she had reasons to do it. She had a lot going on with the pressure of being the BAU Unit Chief, and if anyone knew that wasn't an easy job, that was him; she had a sick child in the hospital who was getting sicker and weaker each passing day, and he could only imagine the kind of pain she was going through.

Maybe he shouldn't have done what he did, maybe he should have waited and been more supportive of her. After all, their daughter's health and happiness was in the midst of everything. He decided he would call later today and cancel all the process and wait until Bay was finished with her treatment and on the way to being well again. He had hesitated and he needed to stop what he did since he knew that would just make her angrier and more hurt. He was about to made the call and cancel everything when a gentleman in a nice suit walked inside the bullpen.

"I'm sorry, I'm looking for Agent Emily Prentiss." The man said in a serious tone. It was rather late at night, and he was surprised he was even there.

"That is her office." Aaron indicated as the man walked toward the door. He knocked on the door softly, and Emily came out with a tired smile on her face.

"Agent Prentiss?" He said in a harsh tone. Emily nodded, and he handed her a manila envelope and then asked her to sign something. Aaron watched the man walk away and Emily walk back into her office.

Emily walked back toward her desk with the manila envelope in her hands, having no idea what it was, but she was worried because it was some kind of important legal document. She opened the envelope and her heart almost dropped to the floor when she saw what was inside. She had been served…Aaron was filing for full custody of Bay.

Emily stood there speechless, then her eyes landed on Aaron who was watching her from his desk with questioning eyes. She couldn't take it anymore, she had had enough, she wasn't going to let him break her apart. She furiously picked up her purse with shaking hands as tears rolled down her face and walked out of her office and stopped in front of him.

"I can't believe you...actually no! You are capable of anything!" Emily's voice was shaky, and she was crying.

"Emily, what are you tal...?" He asked confused, but she shoved the documents in front of him. It was the custody form he had completed a few days ago... _it was too late now he couldn't cancel it anymore!_

"Emily...no, wait!"

"I won't let you take her away from me, do you hear me?!" She screamed at him, ripping the court papers into pieces in front of him; Aaron had never seen her so mad, she was shaking as heavy tears rolled down her beautiful face.

"That is not what I wanted...I just..." He tried to explain

"No, Aaron, I'm done, okay, I'm so done! No matter what I say to you, you will never understand, I made a mistake with Bay, and back then I thought I was doing the right thing." She didn't care anymore, she didn't care if there were people around them and they could hear every word they said.

"Emily, please…"

"For three damn years, you treated me like shit, and I never did anything to deserve it, and I never said anything to anyone about it, you humiliated me and acted as if I was repulsive to you, and I let you do it because I was an idiot and I was in love with you. The night before I left for London that we had sex, that night, I knew it was all a game for you...I knew you probably would brag about how you got me to sleep with you to your friends and everyone would have a big laugh about me..." She couldn't stop herself from crying and telling him what she should have said to him a long time ago.

"When I found out I was pregnant with Bay, I knew there was a possibility that she was yours, but what was I supposed to do since I knew you despised me. You were the reason why I moved to London in the first place...because I couldn't take your humiliations and shitty treatment any longer. How did you expect me to tell you I was possibly going to have a child by you?

Aaron stood there with his mouth wide open…he had no idea she had left because of him, and that she felt the way she did.

"I didn't despise you..." He really wanted to pull her into his arms and tell her that he had loved her since day one.

"I know I should have told you about her, but I didn't think you would want her, and I didn't want to put my daughter through the same pain I went through, and the way you treated me." He had never seen her with so much pain in her eyes.

"Em, just please..." He tried to stop her and to approach her.

"No, Aaron, I'm done. I love you, but I love my daughter more, and I will do anything for her, and I will not let you take her away from me. Bay is my life and my everything, and without her, I'll die." She cried.

"That is not what this is." Once again, he tried to explain.

"It is on, Aaron, if this is what you want…a war, then it's on, but for my daughter, I'm capable of doing anything, even if I have to kill you, but I WILL NOT let you take her away from me!" Those were Emily's final words as she walked away with heavy tears rolling down her face. Aaron just stood there frozen, without being able to react, and when he finally did, she had already reached the elevators. He had never in his entire life seen her so angry and so hurt…like a lioness trying to protect her cubs. The woman he had loved for so many years, the woman he had deeply admired, the woman he had made love to just a few weeks ago, that same woman was declaring war on him, and he knew she was capable of doing anything to protect her child, even if it was keeping that child from her own father.


	24. Chapter 24

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 24: The Green-Eyed Monster

It was official…Emily and Aaron were in a cold-blooded war, and it was more than obvious; of course, after the little cat fight, the screaming match, they had in the middle of the bullpen, everyone knew everything by now. Luckily, the rumors had remained among the team members and hadn't spread to Strauss's ears; otherwise, they would have been fired on the spot. Apparently, Garcia had overheard the whole conversation between Emily and Hotch, and of course, she couldn't stop herself from informing the entire team that their former boss, and the now current boss, had more than just a dirty past together, they also had a child together, a child she had hidden from him. Everyone was dumbfounded…until just a few days ago, they had believed the brunette duo hated each other and couldn't stand being in the same room with each other, but it turned out they felt something else for each other, and it wasn't hatred. They also had a child, Bay was none other than Aaron Hotchner's daughter. How that happened, they had no idea.

The entire situation was shocking and cryptic, and they didn't dare ask either of them for an explanation. Aaron was in the worst mood they had ever seen him in, and they knew better than to get anywhere near him. As for Emily, she was snapping at everyone in sight for almost anything, and they could see and feel the tension growing between their friends, and they really wanted to help, but they just didn't know what to do.

JJ and Garcia were somewhat hurt; they couldn't understand why Emily never told them anything about her being pregnant; they were very good friends, she could have confided in them and counted on them. They understood why she hadn't told Aaron and everyone else on the team, but them…they thought they were her best friends, but apparently, she didn't trust them enough. Garcia was mad at first but then, when she saw Emily so stressed and her and Aaron constantly snapping at each other, she realized Emily needed them more than ever, and she decided to support her by being with Bay as much as she could, when Emily was ready to explain, she probably would. JJ, on her side, was more hurt…she got why Emily couldn't tell Garcia. As amazing and wonderful as Garcia was, she wasn't really the best secret keeper in the world, but what about her, Emily and JJ had shared everything, even their most intimate secrets, so why didn't Emily feel free enough to tell her…why all the secrecy and lies, JJ was deeply hurt and had no intention of hiding it.

They had been acting very snappy with each other; Emily knew why she was acting like this. She truly wanted to give all her friends an explanation, but she didn't have the energy then, all she wanted to do was to focus on Bay's surgery…after that, she would worry about explaining the situation to the entire team. Emily knew they were hurt, especially JJ, but now she simply didn't have the head for anything. However, the tension between her and JJ kept growing. They had been in Emily's office for over three hours going over the cases they had to select to consult, having hardly said a word to each other that wasn't work related. Emily felt sad about the entire situation, and she could perceive JJ was starting to have an attitude with her; she had decided to ignore it for the past few days, but she had to set those thoughts aside when Anderson walked into her office to tell her she had a very important call on line one from London.

"Did the person said who it was?" She asked, moving her eyes away from the files.

"Clyde Easter...he said it was urgent." Anderson explained.

"All right, I'll take the call here, thank you, Anderson." Emily smiled politely.

"You're welcome, Ma'am." He closed the door and left the women alone again. Emily reached for the phone receiver and picked up, answering Clyde's call.

"Prentiss." She answered.

"Good Lord, Emily, I've been calling you since last night. I've been really worried about you. Why the hell aren't you answering my calls!?"

"What! No, I haven't gotten any calls from you!" Emily said, while reaching for her cellphone.

"Oh, shit, my calls are being forwarded to my voicemail!" Emily said, typing around on her cellphone.

"Dammit, Emily, I thought something bad had happened!" Clyde reprimanded her.

"I'm sorry, honey...I didn't realize...what's up, though?" She asked, changing the subject.

"I'm on my way to Washington." Clyde said, as he stepped into the London Airport.

"You are? Oh my God, are you serious?" The excitement in her voice was evident.

"Of course I am, Em. I wouldn't miss Bay's surgery for anything. I'm staying a few weeks."

"Oh God, Clyde, you have no idea what this means to me, I'll pick you up at the airport! What time does your flight get here?" Emily smiled.

"All right, darling, see you soon." Emily hung up and her face was solemn. As soon as she was aware of the way JJ was looking at her…with questioning eyes…she picked up the file they had been working on and ignored JJ's firm stare.

"Who was that? Another secret of yours?" JJ asked boldly, without being able to stop herself.

"JJ, please..." Emily said softly.

"Oh, that's right, you don't trust your own friends...let me ask you a question, did you ever really consider me a friend, or was that a lie, too?" JJ was hurt, and she was tired of waiting around for any kind of explanation from Emily.

"You know what, you're being really unfair, JJ. You have no idea what's going on and why I chose not to tell you." Emily said sadly.

"Because you didn't trust me."

"No, Jennifer, that isn't why." Emily said firmly, and JJ stopped; she knew she was pushing it.

"Then why? Jesus, Em, we used to tell each other everything, even the most intimate things." JJ said sadly.

"This was different, I wanted to tell you, but I..." She stopped…she really didn't want to have that conversation there.

"You don't have to tell me it's none of my business, I just thought we were friends." Again the hurt tone.

Emily exhaled and stood up from the desk, shaking her head and walking toward the window. She took a deep breath; maybe it was time to tell her, the secret was out already, what else was left to say.

"JJ, I love you and you're the closest thing I ever had to a sister. You know more things about me than anyone else, but this was different." She turned back and looked at her friend.

"How so?" JJ finally asked in a soft tone.

"I didn't know Aaron was the father until recently." Emily said simply.

"What? How could you not know?" JJ asked incredulously.

"Look, this is a long story, and I can't just tell you all of it here, but Aaron and I were drunk the night we slept together, and then I moved to London. And I wanted to put everything behind me, everything including that night. I got back with my ex almost immediately after I moved, so when I found out about Bay, it just made more sense in my head that Bay was Max's daughter." Emily explained, with her eyes full of tears.

"But, you never even considered it? I mean, did you ever think about the possibility of Bay being his child?" JJ said, sitting up, too.

"Of course I did, JJ. I've considered it every day of my life since the moment she was born."

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" JJ questioned.

"I was scared, JJ."

"Scared of what?" Her friend asked, getting closer to her.

"Of Aaron rejecting her, of him treating her the same way he treated me back then." Emily said, as a single tear rolled down her cheeks.

"Oh, Emily." JJ said, pulling Emily to her for a hug; after they pulled away, Emily wiped her eyes.

"Max was amazing to me as he always had been, he always treated me like a queen, and he would have done anything for me or Bay. I just wanted my daughter to have a father who really loved her and accepted her." Emily said again.

"Where is Max now?"

"London still, he is coming for Bay's surgery though."

"I can only imagine how hard this has been for you." JJ said, touching Emily's arm gently.

"I fell in love with Aaron, Jayje, and that was my mistake. Now, I just want to save my daughter's life." Emily cried again, and JJ understood it all; she was a mother, too, after all, and she could only imagine what Emily was going through.

"Is Hotch...did he reciprocate those feelings?" JJ asked curiously.

"No, this has all been a game for him, but he has accepted Bay, and that's all that matters." Emily said firmly.

"I'm sorry, Em, for everything...for judging you...for not being there when you needed me." JJ said sadly.

"I'm sorry for not telling you, I just really couldn't." Both friends hugged each other then they got back to working on the case.

It wasn't until around 7 pm that night that Emily finally made it to pick up Clyde at the airport; she couldn't be happier that her best friend was there. She had been through hell for the last couple of weeks…well, actually, she had been through hell the entire year. She was surprised she was still alive, but whatever, she was so happy Clyde was here, by her side. Clyde was her one and only true friend, and no matter what was going on in her life, he would always be there for her and for Bay. Especially now that things were as bad as they could be. Emily picked him up, and they headed straight to the hospital, talking some on the way, but Clyde knew that they needed to sit down and really have a talk.

As it was imagined, Bay was overjoyed as soon as she saw Clyde. Both Prentiss girls loved Clyde and his presence was always more than welcome and greatly appreciated. The truth was that Clyde had been by their side at every pivotal moment of their lives, when Bay was born, and the first time she was sick, even the first time she fell, and the first time she crawled, and when she took her first steps, and even when she said her first words, that funnily happened to be "no" and "mommy". But, the important thing was that he had been there, and he had been a big part of their lives and always would be. Clyde spent some time with Bay and even helped Emily bathe her, then it was a little family and movie time before Bay's bedtime. Clyde realized he had made the right decision in coming, because Bay was weaker and paler than usual, and she had lost a lot of her hair and was way more skinny, and seemed even smaller.

Clyde also noticed that Emily looked even skinnier and more tired than she had the last time he had seen her; she looked like she was severely ill, and Clyde realized maybe he needed to stick around for a couple of weeks. As they were getting ready to watch the movie, Clyde pulled Emily into his arms and hugged her really tightly; he knew she really needed him, so they would talk and he would be there for her after Bay fell sleep, when they could actually sit and talk but for now, a hug would make her feel better, would let her know he was there for her.

"Everything is going to be alright, darling, I'm here to help you with anything you need. I can take some of this heavy load off your shoulders." Clyde said sweetly, as he pulled her close to him, hugging her really tightly.

"I know, I'm so glad you came, I couldn't do this without you." Emily let her best friend comfort her with a sweet hug…it felt so good to have him there.

Just as the two friends were having a sweet demonstration of love and friendship, Aaron Hotchner happened to be walking into Bay's hospital room, since he had decided to spend some time with Bay after work. Although, since the fight in the office, Emily had hardly let him see Bay unless someone was present, he was trying to be there as much as he could. While they had not yet come to an agreement on the court papers, Emily was allowing him to see Bay if she was there, and Aaron knew she would be there tonight, so he walked into the hospital hoping he could have a few hours with his daughter. Unfortunately, he was caught with a big surprise as he walked into the room.

Emily and Clyde were still in a hugging embrace when he walked in, his eyes darkened as he watched the strange blonde man hugging the beautiful brunet, and he couldn't help but notice the knot in his stomach and a strange feeling running in his blood. He cleared his throat angrily as the friends pulled away from one another.

"Sorry to interrupt..." Aaron said coldly, his eyes on fire looking at Clyde with hatred.

"Hello, Aaron." Emily said, in the same tone.

Aaron walked in, his eyes still on Clyde.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to see Bay." He said, glaring at Emily.

"You aren't interrupting anything, but I would appreciate it if you called next time." Emily said dismissively.

"Hello, I'm Clyde Easter." Clyde stepped up, looking at Hotch with the same evil look Aaron was giving him. If it was up to Clyde, he would kick his ass right then and there, but he knew better than to cause a scene especially when Emily was going through a lot of stress.

"Aaron Hotchner." Both man stared at each other as if they were ready to attack each other as they shook hands.

"Aaron, you came, too." Bay said, taking both men out of their attacking pose.

"Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?" Aaron asked, forgetting about Clyde for a moment and focusing on his daughter; however, he couldn't avoid the feeling of blood boiling inside him. _Who the hell was this clown?_

"I did come, sweetie, I wanted to see how you were feeling." Aaron replied and tried to ignore the feeling in his stomach.

"I'm okay, are you staying for our movie?" Bay asked, with a sparkle in her eyes.

"I'm...not sure..." He said, looking at Emily waiting for her approval.

"Can he stay, mommy, please...?" Bay begged Emily.

"Sure, if he wants to stay, he can stay." She really didn't want him there, but Bay did, so that was all that mattered to her.

"Please stay, Aaron, we're going to watch a cool movie?" Bay begged Aaron sweetly.

"Okay, I'll stay for a short while." His attention back to Bay.

It was a lot more uncomfortable than they had expected, but Bay was happy and they decided to focus on that. Clyde and Aaron kept sending each other evil looks, and the tension was growing in the room. Aaron sat close to Bay in the recliner chair, and Emily and Clyde sat together on the couch, something that made Aaron angrier and more uneasy. He didn't even know the man, but he hated him already; he hated the way Clyde interacted with Bay and even more so, the way he interacted with Emily. He hated the way Clyde made her smile and the way she easily snuggled with him. Clyde had noticed Aaron sending glares his way, and he knew exactly what was going on there…he wasn't stupid, so intentionally, Clyde pulled Emily into his arms and draped a blanket around them. Emily didn't see anything wrong with the gesture because she had snuggled with Clyde endless times to watch movies and on cold winter nights; he was her best friend, they had slept in the same bed hundreds of times and she didn't see anything wrong with it other than friendship. Of course, Aaron was oblivious to that, and Emily failed to notice how truly uncomfortable he was by Clyde's gesture.

By the end of the movie, Aaron wanted to rip Clyde's head off; of course, Aaron was trying to maintain a cool face, but inside him, he was burning up alive. _Was Emily dating this idiot?_ _And why in the hell was he so close to his daughter…Bay seemed to adore the idiot and that bothered him, she was his daughter, and Emily was, well, technically she wasn't his, but still, he didn't want him with this guy...in fact, he didn't want him with any guy whatsoever._ Clyde left the room for a short while to make some calls and to get Emily coffee just as the movie had ended, and Aaron was saying goodbye to Bay.

"Is that your boyfriend, or let me guess, another possible father?" Aaron asked, when they were outside of the room, and Bay couldn't hear them. Emily just smirked, shaking her head.

"You know, Aaron, I'm really tired, and the last thing I want to do is argue with you, so have a good night, okay?" She said, turning away.

"Are you dating him?" He asked angrily.

"That isn't any of your business! Goodbye, Aaron!" Emily said, going back inside the room, Emily knew he was just trying to pick another fight, and she definitely wasn't going to let that happen.

As days moved forward and Bay's surgery got closer, stress grew even stronger. The surgery could happen at any minute now, and that made everything much more complicated. Aaron didn't want to leave the hospital at all, even if Emily wasn't agreeable to him being there; he had decided he didn't need permission to see his daughter, especially not with the surgery so close, so he was spending basically every single minute he wasn't at work or with Jack at the hospital. He had already donated the bone marrow, and they were just waiting for a bed to be ready to perform the transplant surgery on her; it was just a mater of days or perhaps hours, and every passing minute was filled with stress and anxiety. Bay was getting worse, and she could hardly sit up or stand, and that was devastating for both Emily and Aaron, especially when they were in the middle of a war. On top of that, the fact that Clyde was there was making everything more difficult, at least on Aaron's part, for Emily, it was a blessing, but for Aaron it was hell. Emily refused to tell him if she and Clyde were in a relationship, and that truly bothered him.

One afternoon, they were all in the room, and Bay asked to be taken to the restroom and Emily helped her out of the bed, took her to the bathroom, and when they returned, Bay insisted on walking back to the bed by herself. Emily wanted to let Bay do as much as she could on her own to make her feel better, so she unclasped her hand. Aaron, on the other hand, didn't think it was a good idea, and he tried to discuss it with Emily, but she ignored him and let Bay do as she wished…unfortunately, Bay was so weak by now she hardly took a few steps before she felt dizzy and fainted, collapsing on the floor. Emily immediately ran toward her, trying to pick her up.

"Bay, baby, wake up, baby." Emily screamed, crying, but Bay was unconscious.

"I can't get her to wake up!" She said, shaking her and crying. Aaron and Clyde both knelt down.

"I told you not to let her go on her own. I told you not to do it!" Aaron said, furious.

"Call the doctor, Clyde, please." Emily said, crying.

Within seconds, the room filled with nurses and doctors, ordering all three of them to step out of the room. Emily was crying frantically, and they didn't know what was going on, she just needed to see her daughter, to see that she was okay. But, they were not allowed back in the room, at least until the doctors were finished examining her. By then, their friends had arrived…they had been on a case, but Dave decided it was time to support the two friends, so he and Morgan headed to the hospital, as the chaos was beginning. They all gathered outside the room, waiting on a response to see what was happening with the little girl as they tried to comfort one hysterical Emily.

"This is all your fault!" Aaron hissed angrily.

"Aaron, stop please!" Dave warned.

"Why, this is all her fault...she should not have let her walk back to her bed alone, without support, she knew she was weak, but she didn't care, she was too busy whoring around with her boyfriend to care about her daughter!" He said furiously, but that was it! Clyde couldn't take it any longer.

"Fuck off, asshole!" Clyde screamed, stepping in front of Emily, and before anyone could do anything to stop it, Clyde's fist landed on Aaron's face.

Aaron was caught off guard, but he immediately returned the blow, and in a matter of seconds, both men were wrestling, and Emily was terrified, trying to stop both man from killing each other.

"Clyde, no, please...stop...Aaron, stop, please." She cried, as she tried to step between both of them.

Morgan and Dave quickly reacted and separated both man.

"What the hell, man, are you out of your mind!?" Morgan said, holding Aaron and pushing him away from Clyde.

Dave, on his other side, took Clyde away.

"You both need to stop now!" Derek said, trying to stop Clyde from going after Aaron again.

"Let go of me, Derek, let me kill this son of a bitch!" Aaron seething.

"Stop Hotch, calm down, man." Morgan said, holding Aaron tighter as he tried to forcibly move him away from Clyde's proximity.

"I'd like to see you try, you fucking coward!" Clyde said, angrier than he had ever been in his life.

"Clyde, please stop!" Emily finally said, holding Clyde, too, with tears in her eyes.

"No Em, let me kick his ass, let me tell this asshole what he deserves to hear." Clyde had fire in his eyes, and Dave and Derek could both see that.

"This isn't even your business, she's my daughter, what the hell are you even doing here?" Aaron said, fuming.

"She's your daughter? Then, where in the hell were you when she was born? And when she first learned how to walk, and the first time she was sick? Because I surely was there, and I don't remember seeing your pathetic face." Clyde asked again, trying to move away from Emily's and Dave's hold.

"I didn't know she was my daughter then, thanks to her, thanks to all her bullshit and lies. Emily is nothing but a lying whore!" With that, Clyde was able to free himself from Dave and Emily and jumped on Aaron, punching him again and bursting his lip open, making blood appear.

Again, Dave and Morgan had to step between Clyde and Aaron to stop them from beating each other senseless in front of poor Bay, as Aaron once again tried to punch Clyde back and kick his ass.

"Listen to me, you piece of shit, do you want to know why she didn't tell you?" Clyde was sure Emily was going to hate him, but he didn't care.

"She didn't tell you because you were a bastard that treated her like crap and used and humiliated her when she was working with you, and the last night she was in DC, so, don't come here acting like a victim and blame all this on her. If you would have had the balls to treat her like a lady, none of this would ever have happened! This is ALL your fault…you're nothing but a narcissistic bastard that doesn't deserve her, or even Bay. You're a fucking asshole that used her and treated her like crap!" Clyde was shaking mad, and he truly wanted to kill Aaron.

"I don't know what the hell she ever saw in you...to be honest...because a woman as beautiful and amazing as she is deserves the best in this world, and from what I can see, you aren't any better at being a real man than you are at fighting!" Clyde screamed at him.

"Man up and grow some balls, motherfucker, and admit the way you treated her and what you did to drive her away from you and hide that child away from you." All the while, Aaron was still battling to move away from Morgan and fight Clyde back.

"Now, if you're going to be here, at least be a support to her; if you can't be that, then get the hell out before I kill you!" Before Aaron could respond, the security guards stepped in and stopped the fight in a matter of seconds. Emily took Clyde outside the hospital as Dave and Morgan took Aaron somewhere else.

Emily stepped out of the hospital with Clyde, she was angry, but not at Clyde, she was angry at Aaron. She knew Clyde had reacted the way he had because of all the crap Aaron was saying about her, and the way he was disrespecting her, in fact, she had been very close to kicking his ass herself. Clyde now had a very purple bruise on his temple and had broken the skin on his knuckles while punching Aaron.

"Jesus, Clyde, what the hell is the matter with you!?" She hissed, as soon as she was able to collect herself.

"With me? Emily, that idiot was attacking you. I swear, Emily, I WILL kill him!" Clyde was so mad he was shaking.

"Clyde…stop, just stop, please. I can't deal with this right now, my daughter is in there, and I can't do this." Emily finally said, sobbing heavily. Clyde just pulled her close, hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry, darling, I can't stand him, I simply can't...not after everything he's done to you." Clyde said, while comforting her.

"I just need Bay to be fine. I don't care about him anymore. I just want my baby to be okay." Emily said, as heavy tears rolled down her face. Clyde held her as close as he could and whispered comforting words in her ear. _He knew he shouldn't have started a fight with that imbecile, but he was just tired of it; if it hadn't been for Emily, he would have killed him then and there_.

They were still outside when Aaron saw them through the hospital windows, making his blood boil even more. He hated that it was that idiot and not him comforting her; he hated that it was Clyde who got to hold and support her, he hated that asshole for the way Emily smiled at him. He couldn't stand it, it wasn't until then he realized that he still loved and cared for her. Emily still held a very strong place in his heart regardless of everything that had happened. He would not tolerate Emily in a relationship with that idiot, Clyde wasn't her type, he couldn't make her tremble the way only he knew how to...and that spark in her eyes...he didn't see it in her eyes when she looked at Clyde, not the way she looked at him while they were making love. He wasn't going to let Clyde take her away from him, he wasn't going to let him win, he would fight for Emily, no matter what!

After Emily calmed down, Clyde pulled away from her, wiping her eyes and kissing her forehead.

"I just want the best for you, and he is not that." Clyde said quietly.

"I know, Clyde, everything between us is over, I promise you. He is only here for Bay, and that's all." Emily promised.

"I swear to God, Em, if he says something else to you, I will kill him." Clyde warned.

"No, you won't, you will behave, because I need you to be here for me and Bay and for you to support me, not cause me more stress, is that clear?" Emily asked seriously.

"Fine, but he needs to fuck off." Clyde said, looking away. It was then that Emily brought a hand to his temple tenderly.

"Let me see that." She tried to see how badly he was injured, but he pulled away.

"It's nothing, Em, that idiot punches like a girl." Clyde said angrily…that got her to smile and laugh.

"Shall we go back?" Clyde asked.

"Go, I'll be there in a minute...I just need some fresh air."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, go try to find out what's going on with Bay, I'll be there in just a minute." Clyde headed inside the hospital doors, not seeing Aaron who was, of course, watching everything and waited until Clyde disappeared to approach her. He just needed to talk to her.

Emily was trying to get her head cleared as silent tears rolled down her face, and the cold night reflected on her pale skin. She was so tired of this, she simply couldn't take it anymore, she just prayed to God that her daughter was doing well after fainting. She needed to remain focused for Bay, Emily needed to keep her strength for her daughter and pray that this was almost over. It was then that she became aware of Aaron's presence, and unfortunately, he was the last person she wanted to see.

"Emily..." He started, but he couldn't find the words to continue before Emily interrupted him.

"Don't, okay, just don't, please, just go away and leave me alone." She said, with tears in her eyes.

"Emily, please, listen to me." Aaron begged.

"No, Aaron, just go, please." She said angrily.

"Emily, I want to talk, please."

"About what, Aaron, about how you just attacked Clyde for no reason, about how you called me a lying whore? What is it that you want to talk about?" She screamed.

"Are you dating him?" He asked, in a heavier tone.

"Why do you care, Aaron, why does it matter to you? Just go away and leave me alone." - She said, with tears rolling down her face.

"Just please answer me, are you dating him?"

"God, Aaron, STOP, just stop!" She said, raising her voice, "Don't you understand that I can't talk to you because it hurts too much, standing in front of you is killing me, okay? Don't you get how much you have hurt me?" She screamed sobbing.

But Aaron, unable to control himself, pulled her by the waist and wrapped his arms around her kissing her passionately…at first, she tried to move away from him, but he was holding her too tight, and soon the kiss turned heated, passionate, and he didn't let go of her mouth until she was breathless.

"I want to know because I still fucking love you." Aaron said, looking at her intensely. However, she wasn't able to respond as they were interrupted. Clyde was running toward her.

"Emily, Dr. Bergman is looking for you…it's time...they're taking Bay into surgery now." Clyde said, and before Aaron could react, Emily ran back inside the hospital.


	25. Chapter 25

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 25: Scared to Death

It had now been more than six hours since they had taken Bay in for surgery, and Emily was close to having a breakdown. She hadn't even had a chance to see her daughter after she had fainted, and they had taken her in for emergency surgery. Dr. Bergman told Emily Bay's system was too weak to wait any longer, and if they didn't act immediately to place the bone marrow transplant Bay could die. It was the worst news a parent could ever receive, and Emily had been crying hysterically since they had taken her daughter into surgery, and as much as the team was trying to calm her down, they simply couldn't. After the fight between Clyde and Aaron, and the doctors telling them they were rushing Bay in for surgery, they found themselves calling anyone they remembered that could come help, or at least that could be there to support their friends. The entire team was there, of course, with no questions, and Elizabeth, too, had arrived shortly after the surgery started.

There wasn't really much they could do but just be there for her. It was difficult for everyone to see their best friend in that state. Emily was a mess, she found herself unable to stop crying, and while she had tried to remain strong over the last couple of months, tonight she simply couldn't take it. She was crying from desperation and from anger, she should have done something before her daughter got this sick, she should have acted sooner. She kept trying to think of all the ways she had failed Bay, and even though her friends kept telling her it wasn't her fault and she had done everything she could to help Bay, she simply didn't listen to them. She knew that if something ever happened to Bay she could never forgive her self, and she knew Aaron would never forgive her. She didn't really give a damn about him or how he felt, but she knew if Bay didn't make it, he would hate her forever. But it truly didn't matter for her, yes he might still love him and care for him, but Bay was her life and her entire world, without her she simply didn't think she could live. Maybe that was too dramatic, but that was how she felt…if something happened to Bay, she would shoot her self in a heartbeat. Without her daughter she just didn't have any reason to live.

Clyde tried to make her eat something or even drink water or tea, but they couldn't get her to do anything, it was as is she was suddenly lost. She just sat there in a chair crying and praying; she didn't respond or talk to anyone, even when her mother arrived, she just had no energy for anything, all her mind and thoughts were in that surgery room with Bay. It was heartbreaking and depressing to see her like this, even for Aaron who was watching from a few feet away. It pained him to see her in so much pain and agony. He was very worried and desperate, but the truth was he had only been in Bay's life for a few months, so, he could only imagine what it was for Emily to be going through this. She had carried the little girl in her womb for nine months, then she had raised her and taken care of her for the past four years, and as much as he hated to admit it, Emily had done a lovely job with Bay. Aaron had an opportunity to spend a lot of time with Bay and the more he discovered about her, the prouder he was that Emily was her mother. The little girl was a carbon copy of Emily, she was beautiful and smart, and she was driven and even stubborn. She knew exactly what she wanted and how she wanted it, yet she was sweet natured and a loving little girl. She was by far the most well-mannered and polite little girl Aaron had ever met, and she had Prentiss written all over her. She was intriguing and captivating, she knew how to read and write for her young age, she was interested in so many things. She could make Aaron smile so easily, she was adorable in so many ways. But most of all, she loved her mother more than anything; Aaron saw that right away…Bay did nothing but talk about Emily and all the things they did together, and all the things Emily bought for her, the games they played, the stories she read her, Emily was simply her hero and her entire life. Bay worshiped Emily and Aaron was proud of that, he couldn't have asked for a better mother for his little girl, and he knew that despite not knowing about Bay for so long, Emily had done a remarkable job with her. He just wished he could be part of that, a part of her little world…Emily knew every story, every wound, every memory, her first words, her fist steps...everything in his little girl's life, Emily knew down to a science, her entire happiness was wrapped around Emily. He was happy for that, but it really hurt him that Bay didn't even know who he was...it really stung, and although he knew it was all his own damn fault, it still hurt.

Clyde was right about everything, it was all his fault, he should have treated her like the beautiful lady she was and like she deserved to be treated; he should have wowed her with roses and amazing words and treated her like a queen. Emily left and ran away with his daughter, because he had made her do so, he had treated her so badly that he had made her run away and hide his daughter from him, and now here he was looking like and idiot in front of everyone, looking like a loser…everyone had heard the fight between him and Clyde, and he knew they all agreed with Clyde, he was a piece of scum, and he had no right to come here and demand anything from Emily.

He watched sadly as Emily got up from her seat and walked away. He knew she couldn't take it anymore, and that she was desperate and probably dying inside, he just wished he could comfort her and tell her everything would be fine. He, too, stood up from his chair, excusing himself to go to the bathroom and quickly tried to go after her, but he had no idea where she had gone. He walked around the hospital aimlessly for a while, searching for her until finally he could her soft sobs coming from the chapel. He walked inside slowly and saw her in the very front pew crying and praying silently; it truly was heartbreaking for him. He slowly made his way to the first pew and sat close beside her. He didn't want to scare her or disturb her, he just wanted to see if she needed anything. Emily was aware of his presence from the minute he opened the doors, and now she could smell his cologne, she knew it was him and honestly, he was the last person she wanted there.

"Please go away, Aaron...I just want to be alone." She begged, still crying in her arms.

"I want to pray for her, too, you know, she is my daughter, too, Emily." She didn't say anything, she just kept praying silently and tried to ignore him.

"I know all of this is my fault, but I know nothing about her...what she likes, what she's allergic to, her favorite books, her favorite food." He said, as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"I'm a complete stranger to her, all she does is talk about you, she will never know who I am, I'll never forgive myself for that." Tears were finally running freely from his eyes, and that got Emily's attention, and she sat back down on the bench of the chapel and looked at him. He was looking down at the floor, although the tears were evident in his eyes.

"She does know who you are." Emily said sadly.

"No, she doesn't, I'm some random guy that comes to visit her, you, on the other hand, are her hero, her entire life, you're part of every little story in her past, all of it."

"You can be part of her future." Emily said, looking at him with tear in her eyes.

"Shellfish." Emily said suddenly.

"What!?" Aaron asked, raising his eyes to meet hers.

"She is allergic to shellfish and kiwis." Emily continued.

"I'm allergic to kiwis, too." He responded, astonished.

"She likes the "Cat in the Hat", but she mostly loves books about horses. I swear I don't know where she got it from, but she loves horses in all sizes and shapes."

"I knew that." Aaron smiled timidly.

"Let's see, she weighed about seven pounds when she was born, she took about twenty-five hours to get here." She remembered as if it was yesterday when she was born.

"Oh wow! Jack only took six hours." Aaron said, surprised.

"The doctors wanted to go in and get her, but I knew she would come when she was ready, and that is how she is, you can't rush her to do anything, she does things at her own pace, but she is so smart you'll be surprised." Emily smiled softly…Aaron, too, couldn't help himself and smiled too.

"She started walking when she was eight months, she fell several times before she finally did it, but she was so determined to it. She is so stubborn I swear I don't know where she got that from." Emily kept talking; it felt so good to talk about this and have positive thoughts, so she just kept going.

"I can guess who she got it from." Aaron joked.

"She is like you in so many things, it's so annoying." Emily gave Aaron a warm smile.

"She is a perfectionist, even at her young age, she is the sweetest kid, but she has this frown when she is upset that I swear I feel like I'm looking at you, she is a complete enigma sometimes, she is truly an overachiever and when she sets her mind on something, there is nothing that stops her, she looks like she has this huge wall in front of her. She pushes people away especially when she is upset, but she is so lighthearted and gentle, she has such an amazing heart." Emily kept talking about her daughter non-stop as Aaron listened to her without missing a single word she was saying.

"She sounds like such an amazing child, you truly have done a lovely job with her, you have raised such a wonderful little girl." Aaron said, looking at her gently.

Emily just looked away as tears rolled down her face.

"If something happens to her, I'll die, I'll kill myself...I won't be able to live without her." She finally sobbed.

"Don't say that Emily, please, she's going to be fine. You need to be strong, for her you need to be strong." Aaron took her hand gently and together they prayed for their daughter; maybe this was an odd moment to be friends and stay together, but they needed it.

After they ended their prayers, Aaron helped Emily off the floor, and they started to walk out of the chapel.

"Thank you for doing this, the bone marrow...I don't have the words to thank you and to show you what this means to me." Emily said, wiping her eyes.

"She's my daughter, Emily, it's the least I can do for her, I owe her that much."

As they were about to walk out the chapel, Dr. Bergman walked in; he looked exhausted and he was sweating, making Emily's heart immediately drop. His face looked somewhere else. _Oh God, no, please,_ Emily begged internally.

"Ms. Prentiss, I've been looking for you everywhere, your friends said you would be here, I have something very important to tell you." His words were long and sounded dreadful.

"Oh my God, is Bay okay? Is my baby fine." Emily's heart was paralyzed and so did Aaron's…he found it difficult to breathe, and Emily felt her knees give.

"No, Bay is fine, don't worry, we just need your permission and signature to place her on a different floor." He explained tiredly.

"Another room?" She asked with a shaky voice.

"Well, I think the recovery room on the second floor will be much better fit for all of you, it is much larger." Dr. Bergman explained.

"Recovery room?" Both parents asked in unison.

"Yes, the recovery room. Everything went great with the surgery, and we think in a couple of months Bay will be able to resume a normal life...if everything progresses well with the transplant." Dr. Bergman said, and finally smiled.


	26. Chapter 26

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 26: My Two Daddies

Bay's surgery had been a great success…a miracle for Emily and Aaron, basically for everyone that loved Bay the way they did. It had been so painful to see such an innocent little girl and angel being consumed by a terrible illness. Bay had lost so much weight and most of her beautiful hair, and it was heart breaking to see her. Miraculously, the surgery had been successful and the doctors expected Bay to fully recover; her little body had accepted the transplant, so far, and even after a couple weeks, after the surgery, everything seemed great. Bay had even started to look better, the redness of her cheeks was starting to appear again, and she was even more active and energized. The doctors were keeping her in the hospital under observation for a while longer just in case there were complications, but so far everything was proceeding as it should. Everyone was happy for Emily because the nightmare seemed to be over finally, and she had decided to take some time off from work to spend time and take care of Bay, so she submitted a temporary leave of absence, and Hotch and Rossi had taken over her post to support her.

Clyde had stayed as long as he could to support Bay and Emily…even after the surgery…but he, too, was now gone and back to work. Everyone on the team was always around to help and be with Bay. Aaron was at the hospital as much as he could be, and even though things were still strained between him and Emily, and they still were fighting occasionally, they were trying to get along, at least, for Bay's sake. So much had happened between them, it was hard for them to be in a good place again, but even with that, they hated to admit they still had feelings for each other. That was the most difficult thing for them both, and Aaron knew he would never get a chance with her, there was too much damage done; but, he loved her more than he cared to admit, even if Emily had hidden Bay away from him for so long. He loved Emily, and it was impossible not to get jealous when she had so much support and help from friends he hardly knew, such as Clyde…he knew Clyde was her friend, but he hated the man with all his guts.

Things got even worse when Max came to visit Bay and stayed a few nights; Aaron finally got to meet the man that took his place in Emily's heart, as well as in his daughter's life. It nearly killed him to watch Max around Emily and around his baby girl, and to hear Bay call Max daddy and not him. He knew Max was aware now that Bay wasn't his daughter, but Bay saw him as her father, and that was the most painful thing for Aaron, and then, the way Max looked at Emily made it obvious to him that he still had feelings for Emily, and that made him crazy jealous. Aaron couldn't stop thinking about Emily, no matter how hard he tried, and it was exhausting, because he also couldn't forgive her for what she had done. One morning he walked in the hospital room to see Bay, and his heart dropped at the image in front of him…Max had Emily pulled to him in a hug, and Aaron wanted to run in there and pull the brunette out of his arms by force, but he knew he couldn't do that.

"Good morning." Aaron said coldly, glaring at both the brunette and Max.

"Oh hello, Aaron, good to see you." Max said amicably, and Hotch just nodded, without responding, and Emily noticed the glare he was sending Max.

"Good morning, Aaron." It was then he noticed Emily was crying, and he also noticed Bay was still sound sleep.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, worried.

"Yeah, everything is okay." Emily replied, wiping her eyes.

"I'm going to take a shower, then I'll meet you down at the horse stables, Em." Max said, putting his coat on.

"That sounds good, thank you, Max, thanks." And after a few more uncomfortable minutes, Max left. Aaron just stared at her for a few seconds.

"So, what's going on?" He asked.

"We wanted to take Bay to the horse stables to get her away from the hospital. She loved it the last time she went with you." Emily smiled at him briefly.

"Well, I was hoping I could spend time with Bay today, but I can come back tomorrow if you'd like." Aaron himself had been thinking about taking Bay down to see the horses.

"Actually, I wanted to see if you could come, too." Emily asked, as she moved around the room straightening things and putting them back in their place.

"I don't want to intrude in your time and plans."

"Actually, I wanted to take Bay there because I want to tell her you're her father, and I want you to be there when we tell her." Hotch's mouth dropped open when Emily said that.

"Okay, are you sure it's time?" Aaron asked, since he had become more understanding of his daughter's illness and what stress could do to her.

"I think it's time she knows Aaron, it's only fair for you and for her."

"I agree, but does Max really need to be here?" Aaron knew he sounded like a petulant child, but he didn't care.

"I want Bay to understand everything as much as possible…Max has been the only father she has known, and while I want her to know and love her real father, Max will always be a part of her life. I can't take that away from her." Emily explained, as she folded one of the blankets she had been using to sleep there.

"I understand that, I just wanted to have time by myself with her after we do tell her, to make her understand I care for her, and I will be there for her always to make it up to her for when I wasn't." He said, walking toward her and helping her fold the other blankets.

"Okay, you can stay with her at the stables or go somewhere else after that, just make sure you guys come back at a decent time. I don't want her to be away from the hospital for that long until the doctors say she's totally in remission."

"I understand, and I'll make sure we get back before it's dark outside."

"Okay, great. Hey, I'm going to take a shower, too, really quickly…can you stay with Bay?"

"Of course, take your time." He said, smiling and looking toward the bed where his daughter was sleeping.

Two hours later, they were all walking into the horse stables. Bay was in Aaron's arms wearing a beautiful beanie horse hat with nice braids that Aaron had found for her, since she had lost a lot of her beautiful hair while on chemotherapy. She was smiling widely and Max and Emily were following close by, as they walked through the different stables to pick a horse.

They spent a great amount of time looking at the horses and feeding them and even brushing their manes. They even rode the horses for a while, but around one in the afternoon they all sat down on the grass to have lunch. Emily had made sandwiches for everyone, and they had snacks, too, so, it was a perfect little picnic. Once everyone gathered around and ate, Emily pulled Bay into her arms.

"Sweetie, mommy has to talk to you about something." She said, kissing and hugging her tightly.

"Okay, mommy…am I in trouble?" Bay asked, looking at her with questioning eyes.

"No, baby, you aren't, but there's something we need to tell you."

"It's about Aaron." Emily said nervously…she had no idea how to continue this conversation.

"I love Aaron, mommy." She said innocently, thinking there was something wrong with her friend, causing Aaron to smile widely.

"I know you do, honey, and I'm glad you do, because Aaron is someone very special in your life." Emily said, as she watched Bay play with the braids on her beanie.

"Bay, can you look at mommy for a second." Emily asked, getting her attention away from whatever was distracting her, Bay nodded and looked at her mother.

"You see, Aaron and I were good friends a long time ago, and well, mommy really wanted a baby, and I couldn't have one, so Aaron helped me." Emily tried to explain in the most polite way she knew how, how Bay had been conceived.

"What does that mean?" Bay asked, looking at Aaron.

"It means Aaron is your dad, too." Emily explained…Bay sat there for a second as she frowned her face in deep concentration.

"What about Max…isn't he my daddy?" For a second, Max looked at Emily without knowing what to say.

"Yes, he is. Bay, remember the chapter we saw on Barney about how all families were different." Emily inquired.

"Yeah." Bay said, playing with her fingers.

"We have a different family, and you get to have two daddies. Max will always be like a dad to you because he helped raise you. And Aaron is your daddy because he helped create you." That was as gentle as she could get to explain to her daughter the story of her birth and her two daddies. Emily observed her daughter carefully waiting for an outburst and a fit; she expected Bay to react badly to the news and maybe even run off crying or screaming that she didn't like that, however, she did none of those things. Bay crossed her fingers together as if she was processing the information and deeply analyzing it. Emily wanted to burst into laughter as she watched her daughter act like she was thinking about some big decision to make, and she looked just like Aaron when he was concentrating on something. They all sat there waiting for the little girl's response.

"What's on your mind, baby?" Emily asked after a while, when Bay didn't respond.

I don't know...do you want to be my other daddy, Aaron?" Bay asked Aaron in a very serious tone as if she was negotiating some serious business.

"Bay, I love you more than I can express, and I'm so happy you're my little daughter." He smiled warmly. Bay smiled, too.

"And you won't be mad if I have another daddy?" Bay asked Max cautiously.

"No, Bay, I love you, and you can have two daddies if that means you're luckier?" Max explained gently.

"Mommy, do I have to call Aaron 'daddy'?" She asked, cuddling closer to her mom. Emily looked at Aaron, unsure of what to say.

"You can call me whatever you want, Bay, I just need you to know I love you with all my heart." Aaron said warmly.

"Okay, in that case, it's fine if you are my daddy." Bay smiled at Aaron, and to everyone's surprise, she stood up and placed a kiss on each of their cheeks, including Emily's. Emily was speechless at Bay's mature reaction to the news; in fact, Bay had handled the news better than Aaron and Max together. Bay went back to playing with the horses almost immediately, but Emily knew there was something on her little mind, since she knew all of her daughter's expressions. She would have to sit down with Bay and have a real talk to see what she really felt. Emily knew Bay wasn't mad, and she knew Bay had grown close to Aaron, so she wasn't sad either, but she knew something was bothering Bay, and she would get the time later to have a mommy and daughter day to sit with her until she had let everything out.

After a while, Max and Emily decided to head out and leave Bay and Aaron alone. She wanted to go back to the hospital and make sure her bill was paid when Bay was released. Aaron had already helped her pay a big part of the surgical bill, which she really hadn't wanted to accept, but he had insisted and in the end, she accepted because it helped him feel a part of Bay's life. As they were about to leave, Bay was playing with one of the horses, brushing his mane, and Aaron pulled Emily away for a second claiming he had to say something to her.

"What's up?" She asked, her eyes on Bay and Max, making sure Bay was safe.

"Thanks for doing this, you have no idea what it means to me." Aaron said softly.

"She deserved to know." Emily was trying to be polite with him, but it still hurt her so much to talk to him. Her eyes kept focusing on Bay and Max, mostly to avoid looking into Aaron's eyes…it just hurt too much. Aaron immediately noticed, and he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Are you two back together?" He asked, his voice thick with anger. Emily rolled her eyes angrily.

"Don't start, Aaron, please." She warned.

"I'm just asking you a question, are you back with him?"

"I can't believe you, why do you care so much about what I do, or who I date…it's none of your business, Aaron." She spat.

"Emily…"

"Don't, okay? I'm not doing this, you'll always be like this…and I'm so done." Emily walked away from him angrily, going to say bye to her daughter and walking away with Max, as Bay ran back into Aaron's arms.

Aaron stood there watching her walk away angrily, and he exhaled. He had not wanted to start a fight… he wanted to tell her he still cared for her, and that was why he was so jealous, but things between them were already bad enough, so maybe it was best for him to stay far, far away from her and leave things as they were…maybe he should just focus on Bay and forget about her once and for all. He headed back to the stables to ride for a little while longer with Bay; it was important for him to have some quality time with Bay. They chose a very pretty black horse, and they began to ride slowly around the land. Bay was cozied up close to Aaron under a blanket while they rode gently smiling and watching his daughter look around the pretty land. He had also noticed Bay had something on her mind. He didn't know her as well as Emily did, but he knew something was wrong, and he was definitely sure it was about them telling her he was her father, and he wanted to talk with her a little bit more about the topic.

After they were done riding, Aaron took Bay to dinner and some hot chocolate. When they were almost finished with their food, they ordered a hot chocolate with whipped cream and a cherry on top, and Bay was happy to get something sweet since she had not been able to have it for a while because of the surgery. Aaron sat there as he watched Bay lick the spoon with whipped cream, and smiled gently. Bay was also avoiding looking at him, as if she sensed there was a talk coming. She was so like Emily in that way.

"Bay, are you okay, sweetheart?" He asked sweetly.

"Yeah, I'm okay?" She answered, without looking at him.

"Are you sure, because you seem a little upset?"

"I'm not upset." Bay's response was stubborn; yes, she was definitely Emily Prentiss's daughter.

"Okay, are you upset about the talk we had today, about me being your father? Because…you know it's totally okay if you're upset, or even sad…it's normal to feel that way." Aaron explained, reaching to caress her hand gently, making Bay look up at him.

"No, I'm not upset, I do want you to be my daddy...it's just…" _Uh huh! So, there was something bothering her._

"Okay, so what's going on, you can tell me, sweetie." Aaron stood up from his booth at the restaurant and went to sit next to her, putting his finger under her small chin, making her look at him.

"You know you can tell me anything, sweetheart…I promise you it's okay?"

"Aaron, do you think I'm going to die?" She asked suddenly, looking at him very seriously. That caught him off guard…he wasn't expecting that at all.

"What? Of course not, honey, why do you think that?" Aaron asked, without knowing what else to say.

"Well, because I'm sick, the doctors always say that at the hospital, and mommy was crying a lot on the nights when I was sick, so am I going to heaven with God?" Aaron could barely speak, he wanted to cry so badly.

"No, you're not, baby, that's why you got the surgery because they fixed you, and in a few more weeks, you'll go home…and you'll be all fine, Bay…you're not sick anymore. You're just staying in the hospital a little while longer because they want to make sure you feel stronger. But, you aren't going to die, do you hear me! The doctors fixed you, you're all perfect now." Aaron said, emotions thick in his voice. Bay nodded, and she stood there thinking what was being said to her.

"Okay, I…just…?" But, she stopped looking sadly.

"What is it sweetheart, why are you sad, please tell me...if you don't want me to be your daddy, that's okay, too." Aaron said sadly, because it pained to see her with that pout on her sweet innocent face.

"I do want you to be my dad, I like having two daddies. I just…you and my mommy always fight for me, and I don't like that, so I was thinking maybe if I go to heaven, you won't fight for me anymore. That way, I can be happy with God, and you guys can stop fighting." That caused Aaron to have tears slowly run down his cheeks nonstop. He picked Bay up in his arms and hugged her as close as he could to him, crying and feeling so distraught. He had no idea they were affecting Bay this much, and it broke his heart, after a while, he pulled away kissing her and making her look at him.

"Listen to me, sweetheart, okay? I'm so sorry mommy and I have not been getting along so well, but you being gone would pain us so greatly, it would kill us both, do you understand? Bay, we couldn't live without you, not ever, not even one more day." Aaron was crying.

"I don't want you to cry, daddy." Bay said, trying to wipe his eyes, as more tears rolled down his cheeks from the emotion of her calling him 'daddy'.

"Then you promise me you'll always stay with us. Always, always?" He asked in a very broken voice.

"Okay, I promise, I won't go to heaven." Bay hugged him again, very tightly. A while later, Aaron pulled away and spoke to her again.

"I promise you that mommy and I won't fight anymore, ever again. I love your mommy very, very much. I love her with all my heart." Aaron told his little girl.

"You do?" Bay asked, surprised.

'Yes, your mommy is the prettiest girl I ever saw, well, actually YOU are the prettiest girl I ever saw, but your mommy is the prettiest girl after you." He smiled.

"Can you tell my mommy that, so she is not so mad at you anymore?" Bay asked innocently.

"Yes, I'll tell her that, and I'll also tell her how much I love her, and that I'm sorry for everything, okay?" Aaron vowed.

"Good, I think you should get her flowers, too, mommy likes flowers, and she'll forgive you if you get her pretty flowers." Bay said happily, and that caused Aaron to smile.

"Flowers, huh?" He asked, arching his eyebrows.

"Yes, flowers…all girls like flowers, even if they're mad at you." Bay said, and Aaron burst into laughter.

"Okay, then flowers it is, come on, let's go, we have a flower mission to accomplish?" He said, paying the bill and picking up his daughter who was now happily clapping in his arms.

Maybe he still had a chance with Emily, maybe he could get her back, and now he had a little helper that knew probably better than he did how to win her mother back again. He smiled as he walked toward the car with his daughter in his arms, ready to get the woman he loved so much back.


	27. Chapter 28

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 27: Another Unforgettable Night.

After Aaron and Bay chose a huge flower bouquet for Emily, they headed back to the hospital…he was ready to do anything it took to get Emily back. They arrived at the hospital a little past eight only to find that Emily wasn't there; he was greeted by a very formal and serious Elizabeth Prentiss. Aaron knew the instant he walked into the hospital room and saw her that the ambassador hated him more than anything by the cold stare she sent his way. He walked in and greeted the ambassador politely and placed his now sleeping daughter on the hospital bed.

"You were supposed to drop her off a while ago, Agent…you need to be more respectful of people's time." Elizabeth bit coldly.

"I'm very sorry, Ambassador, we had dinner after we left the horse stables, and I kind of lost track of time." Aaron apologized sincerely.

"Yes, well, a courtesy call would have been nice." She said rudely, glaring at him.

"I'm sorry." He said again, a little uncomfortably.

"Yes, well, have a good night, Agent Hotchner." The Ambassador said, letting him know it was time for him to go. However, he clasped the bouquet he held in his hands tighter and looked around.

"Actually, I need to talk to Emily, do you know when she'll be back?" Aaron asked.

"She won't." She answered, her eyes now fixed on the bouquet as she smirked sarcastically.

"She won't…where is she?" He asked surprised.

"Emily went home to try to get some sleep. In case you haven't noticed, Agent Hotchner, she hasn't slept properly over the last six months watching over her sick daughter while you stayed home being a coward." Elizabeth snarked, crossing her arms. Aaron just sighed…he knew at some point in his life, he would have to have this conversation with the ambassador, he just wasn't expecting it to be today.

"Ambassador, I know you think the worst of me, and I probably deserve it…I've made many mistakes, and I'm not going to deny that, but I want to correct them. I will do anything to do that." He said, looking at her sincerely.

"Right, and you think flowers are going to do that? You think that by buying her flowers everything is going to go away…all the misery you put her through, all the pain you caused her?" The ambassador said coldly.

"No, it's not what you're thinking, the flowers are to apologize for something that happened earlier today. I know you probably hate me, and you have a right to, but I need you to know I'm willing to do anything it takes to fix this." He said, trying to remain calm at the angry stares the Ambassador was sending his way.

"I think I have earned every right to hate you. Let me see, you not only treated my daughter horribly, but you also got her pregnant and never owned up to your mistakes, or your daughter's paternity, and now you want to come here and demand rights and pretend everything is okay, so yes, Agent Hotchner, you are definitely on top of the list of the few people I want dead." Aaron closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying not to lose control.

"I didn't know about Bay, I would never have walked away from my own child. I had no idea Bay was my daughter until a few months ago, and since then, I have tried to be here as much as I could. I know I've made mistakes, but Emily has, too, and…" But, Aaron stopped, he didn't want to go back and rehash who did what again. He just wanted to repair things, so taking another deep breath, he mustered all the courage he had and looked at the ambassador again.

Look, what's done is done...whether it was my fault or her fault, it doesn't matter. I want to fix things. I want my daughter to be happy. I want…I love your daughter more than I ever loved anyone in this world, and maybe I never had the guts to own up to that, and as I said, I will do anything it takes to fix that, but I need you not to hate me, because I love your daughter, and I promise you, no, I swear to you, that I will spend the rest of my life making it up to her, but I won't be able to move forward if you hate me like that. I will never have a chance in hell with Emily, so I'm begging you to let me fix this and win your daughter's heart again." Aaron said as honestly as he could.

"Emily makes up her own mind, Agent Hotchner." The Ambassador responded.

"Yes, but she looks up to you…look, I know you two had your differences when she was growing up, but everything she does in her life is done hoping you will be proud of her." He told her, and the ambassador stood there speechless.

"I know she might not say it often but you are her entire inspiration. You are a strong, independent woman who doesn't take anything from anyone, and you became one of the most respected and prominent women I know, and she is just like you. And I know that your opinion of this will mean a lot to her; if you hate me, I won't have a chance in hell to win your daughter back."

"She doesn't need my permission to be happy, or to be with you."

No, she doesn't, but I do. Ambassador. I'm sorry about all the mistakes I made with her, and with Bay, but I need you to know that I love Emily more than I ever loved anyone in this world. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and with my daughter, she is the love of my life. I'll do anything you ask me to, to get her back, just please give me a chance." Aaron begged.

I believe Emily is the one who needs to give you a chance, not me, Agent Hotchner, but I do appreciate your honesty and owning up to your mistakes. Emily is at her apartment. I sent her home so she could rest. I offered to stay here with Bay until tomorrow morning, so, you have until tomorrow at 8 am to talk to her. I suggest you leave now and get there before she falls sleep." The ambassador said, looking at her watch.

"Thank you very much." Aaron said, rushing out of the room and heading toward the parking lot again.

He drove as fast as he could to her condo, and after parking next to her car, he rushed up the stairs to her door. He was nervous, and he didn't know how things were going to turn out, but he knew he had to do this. He gently knocked on the door and a few minutes later, Emily came out; she looked very tired, and her face became rigid when she saw him outside her door.

"What are you doing here? Emily asked coldly.

"Can we please talk?" Aaron asked nervously.

"No, we can't, I'm tired, and the last thing I want is to put up with your shit, so I think you should leave." She said, trying to close the door but he stopped her.

"Please, Emily, it's about Bay." Aaron begged. Emily moved from the door because she knew he had spent all afternoon with their daughter, and she was concerned something might have happened to her.

"Fine, what about Bay?" She asked, walking further into the apartment as he followed after her.

"Bay isn't okay, Emily, we are affecting her with all of this conflict, she is suffering." Aaron said sadly.

"What are you talking about?" Emily asked, irritated.

"Bay is hurting, Emily, we are so involved in our fights, we aren't seeing how much they are affecting her."

"Bay doesn't know anything about this! What the hell are you talking about!" She asked in an irritated voice.

"YES! she does, Emily, she does, you know what she told me?" He asked harshly. Emily just looked at him incredulously.

"What!" Emily said, in a defensive pose.

"She told me she wanted to go to heaven so you and I could stop fighting over her. She wants to die, Emily, just because of US!" Aaron finally screamed, tears streaming down his face.

"Oh my God, what? She told you that?" Emily asked, feeling her heart shatter into a million pieces.

"She has heard us fighting and screaming at each other, and she thinks it's all her fault, and she wants to go to heaven so we will stop fighting!" Aaron told her angrily. Emily just shook her head, crying

"So what! This is all my fault…is that what you're trying to say?" Emily screamed at him, still crying.

"No, Emily, I'm not saying that…all I'm saying is we can't live like this anymore. We can't continue like this." He told her, getting close to her…it was then when she finally she saw the bouquet he was holding in his hand.

"So, you bring me flowers, and you think that changes everything, all that pain you caused me, it will all be fixed with some bullshit flowers." Emily snapped furiously.

"No, that is not what these are for, and you caused me pain, too, Emily, you aren't just a victim here…you made mistakes, too." He screamed at her.

"Oh my God, and we're back at the same thing. I apologized to you a million times about hiding Bay from you, Aaron. I had no choice when you treated me the way you did, and you will never understand, and if that is why you came…get the hell out! I'm done, I AM SO DONE!" Emily screamed, crying and collapsing in a heap on the floor. She was exhausted…they had gone over this a million times, and she simply couldn't do it anymore.

Aaron quickly placed the flowers on the counter and rushed to her trying to pull her into his arms off the floor.

"Emily, no, I don't want to fight anymore, I just…" Aaron tried to pick her up off the floor while he was kneeling down in front of her, but she slapped his hands away furiously.

"Don't, don't you dare touch me! Please leave, just leave…get the hell out of my house." Emily cried, pushing him away.

"No, Emily, please, I need you to let me talk, we need to talk for Bay's sake, please." Aaron begged, again trying to keep his distance from her. Emily wiped her eyes, moving away from him and standing up from the floor, going toward the living room. She sat down on the sofa covering her face with her hands as she cried silently.

"Emily, I don't want to fight anymore, what Bay told me today broke my heart into a million pieces, it made me see how selfish I had been all this time thinking about me and my feelings. I know we both made mistakes, but it's not too late to fix them. I want things to be different. I don't want to fight with you anymore, please." He begged, sitting down next to her on the sofa in the living room.

"You don't want to fight anymore? Then what was the bullshit you pulled this afternoon? You had no right to question me about my personal life." She told him angrily, wiping her eyes and giving him a death glare.

"It was just a question, Emily, I wasn't trying to start a fight." Aaron defended himself, but the brunette snapped again standing up from the sofa angrily.

"It was just a question? Why the hell do you care about whom I date or don't date, Aaron, that is none of your damn business, my life doesn't fucking concern you!

"Yes, it does." He responded, raising his voice and letting his emotions win.

Emily just stared at him in shock, but before she could respond, Aaron spoke again.

"It concerns me because I still fucking love you, OKAY! It drives me crazy jealous to see you with anyone because I haven't stopped loving you, and I don't think I ever will." He said, with tears streaming down his face.

"I can't do this anymore, Emily. I'm done, too. I'm tired of all this…the fights, the arguments…going back and forth to the same old crap, and it doesn't even matter because no matter what happened in the past, the mistakes we both did, I love you more than I loved anyone in this life except Jack, and I can't get you out of my head." Tears were streaming down his face, and Emily just stood there in shock…speechless at what she was hearing

"I just know that I love you so much that it hurts, and Bay made me realize today that I can't keep living like this anymore…I just can't. So, that's why I came...to tell you that no matter what has happened, I still love you, I never stopped and I never will." Aaron said, approaching her again. Emily was speechless at his confession, and she didn't react when he pulled her into his arms and started kissing her passionately. Emily just froze as his mouth assaulted her and tears streamed down her face, her heart gave in, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss turned more passionate.

Finally, Emily pulled again, gaining some strength and pulling away from him.

"I can't do this, Aaron, this isn't going to work, you kissing me won't change how I feel…everything that happened." Emily said indignantly.

"Emily, please, let's not go back to the same crap we were doing before, we both made a lot of mistakes, we both did a lot of things wrong and hurt each other doing them, but we can't live like this thinking about the past…we need to move past this, Emily…for Bay, let's do this for her." Aaron said, pleading.

"We can't be together for Bay, Aaron, not after everything we've been through. It's not fair for her and it's not fair for us. This isn't the way to fix things, getting back together and using Bay as an excuse isn't going to resolve anything." Emily said, letting the tears roll down her face.

"I'm not using Bay as an excuse, Emily, and I'm not saying we should be together for Bay, and I don't want to make her happy, and I will be willing to do anything it takes to make her happy. I didn't say we should be together for Bay's sake because I lived that with Haley once for Jack, and trust me, it didn't work out." He said sadly, looking at her.

"I'm saying I want to be with you because I love you more than any woman I've ever loved anyone in this world; yes, we made mistakes and we hurt each other, but I'm willing to put that behind us. I'm not mad anymore, Emily, I forgive you for hiding Bay, because I love you more than I ever thought was possible, and I don't want to lose you. I can't anymore, Em. I'm so sorry about everything I did wrong and the pain I caused you so many years ago. I was a stupid, arrogant fool for not seeing sooner how much you mean to me, how crazy I was about you. I just know that you are it for me, you're the love of my life." Aaron confessed, as tears rolled from both their eyes.

"Aaron, I…" But, Aaron approached her and held her face in his hands firmly, looking at her so deeply it hurt.

"Just tell me something…do you still love me, Emily, do you still feel something for me?" Emily tried to move from his embrace, but he held her firmly to him.

"Aaron, please." She begged.

"Answer me, Emily." He demanded.

"Yes, I do, I always will, but…" He silenced her capturing her mouth again and wrapping his arms around her tighter as he kissed her passionately.

Emily couldn't control herself any longer, and she lost a sense of everything as his arms wrapped around her waist tightly, and he devoured her mouth. Soon, the kiss turned more passionate, and Aaron picked her up in his arms and headed up the stairs with her as they struggled to get to her bedroom in between kisses. He walked them into her room and placed her softly on the bed removing her black sweater and letting it fall on the carpet. Emily's hand moved to the buttons on his shirt, opening the buttons and spreading it open as he trailed kisses along her neck and collarbone. They finished undressing each other in between heated kisses and when they were finally completely naked, Aaron took his time kissing every single spot on her porcelain body. It was the first time he had really had time to admire her gorgeous body, and he made sure he touched every single inch of her soft flesh with his kisses and his gentle bites…she was his and would be his for the rest of his life.


	28. Chapter 29

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 28: My Love, My Life and My Soul

 _ **A/N First of all I want to apologize for the long delay on posting to this story of to any of the other stories. It has definitely been a rough path for me the last couple of weeks. It is officially my last semester before graduation so I am busier than I ever been, also my mom is here finally after ten years so a lot of my time if being going to her lately. I also had a family loss at the beginning of the month so its been a super hard month. I will try to write as time allows it. I have not forgotten about the stories and I do plan on finishing this stories, it just takes me time due to everything going on.**_

Emily work up from her peaceful slumber and was so comfortable she tried to remember what had woken her up. Her entire mind was in a fog, and she was very tired; in fact, she was exhausted, but she didn't know why. As her mind became clearer, the images of the previous night became more lucid as well.

It was then she felt the heavy arm snaked around her naked frame, the intoxicating manly smell filled her nostrils, and she fully remembered what had happened last night. Aaron had come over to her house to speak with her about Bay, and they had an intense fight, followed by a declaration of love. He had told her that he still loved her, even after everything that had happened. Aaron had told her that she has the love of his life and he wanted nothing more than to be with her for the rest of his life. He even asked for forgiveness for all the pain he had caused her. She then remembered his mouth assaulting her passionately, they undressed each other in a rush and they let passion overtake them with very rough and passionate love making (several times).

They talked a lot in between…he had never said so many sweet words to her, he had never been so gentle and so loving. She was still having trouble taking in everything he had said the night before, because it was, of course, difficult to picture the man who had supposedly loved her for the past seven years to open himself up to her like this. For him to tell her she was the most amazing and divine creature that had happened to him in life was truly unbelievable. She loved this side of Aaron, though…the sweet and passionate man who acted as if she was the most stunning and beautiful woman on earth. Her entire body was still sore from their love making, but a small smile spread across her face. She felt his breath become steadier, which meant he was awake, and he gently tightened his hold on her and pulled her closer to him, nuzzling his face and lips against her neck and trailing wet kisses against her bare skin. He knew she was awake; he smiled and wrapped his arms around her even tighter, remembering the night before…remembering their love making, the way her lips felt against his skin, the way she whispered his name while he was making love to her, the way she arched her back moaning his name over and over while her orgasm overtook her. He had never enjoyed intimacy so much with any other woman on earth, Emily was simply the woman of his dreams, the woman he would love for the rest of his life no matter what.

Aaron kept trailing wet kisses against her neck and nibbling on her skin, and she finally chuckled and grasped his hands in hers.

"Good morning, beautiful." He whispered against her ear gently.

"Morning." Emily replied turning in his arms so she was facing him and looking at him with sleepy eyes.

He captured her mouth in a long and passionate kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and flipping them on the bed so she was beneath him. He continued his assault on her mouth, until she pulled away gently.

"Aaron, wait…" She replied, pulling away to stop him from beginning another round.

"Aaron, stop…wait, please…" She said again, more firmly. He stopped what he was doing, looking at her confused.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a soft tone, looking at her intensely.

"Don't you think we should talk?" Emily said hesitantly.

"I thought we did last night." Aaron replied, putting a strand of her messy hair behind her ear gently.

"We mostly made love, Aaron." She said, looking at him seriously.

"Oh, wait, so you are complaining? You know you sounded very happy last night." He teased. Emily blushed lightly and laughed as she gently slapped his chest playfully.

"I'm serious." She said, more firmly.

"Okay, fine, what do you want to talk about?" He asked in a firm tone.

"About how I love you so much that I can barely function anymore? About how I'm willing to do anything it takes to win your forgiveness? About how sorry I am for every single minute I lost being with you because I was being a fool. And not having you in my arms? About how you are absolutely the most beautiful woman on earth and the love of my life?" He said, with sentiment pouring from his eyes firmly onto her.

"Why now, Aaron? Why all of this now after everything that's happened?" She hesitated, she hated to sound so unsecure, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Because I couldn't stop myself any longer, Em…because I love you so much it hurts; because I realized no matter what happens, I'll never stop loving you, and because I don't want to waste any more seconds away from you. Because Bay made me realize you only get one chance in life, and this is my last chance to win you back, to win Bay back."

"What about work, what about Strauss? I mean, these are things we need to discuss." She cut him off again.

"Emily, I don't give a damn about Strauss, or the BAU rules, I wasted almost a decade of my life running away from my feelings, pushing away what I felt for you because of the stupid rules and what I thought was right. I don't care anymore, I can quit and find another job…all I know is I want you, and I'll do whatever it takes to win your heart again. You are it for me, Em. You are the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. You and Bay, and I will give everything I have and everything that I am to win you back." When he was finished talking, she had tears in her eyes.

"I don't know what to say…so much has happened." She answered honestly.

"Em, I'm not saying everything is going to be perfect from now on; I'm not saying that everything that happened in the past is erased now. All I'm saying is give me a chance. I know we both have a lot of issues to work out still; we both need to heal and learn to trust each other fully. I'm not stupid, and I know it will take awhile before we get to a good place again, but I don't want to miss another day without you." When he finished talking, he gently leaned forward and captured her mouth in a sweet kiss.

"Give me a chance to fix all the mistakes I made...give me a chance to win your heart back and prove to you that I love you more than anything in this world...give me a chance to make you happy." Emily smiled as a single tear rolled down her cheek, and Aaron gently wiped it away with his thumb.

"All I know is that I want you and my daughter, and I'll give my life for both of you…to repair it all."

"I love you, Em, I'm so sorry for being such a coward and not admitting it sooner, I love you…I love you more than life itself."

"I love you, too." She said, as more tears rolled down her cheeks. Aaron leaned forward again and captured her mouth in a kiss.

They kissed lazily for a while until their kisses became heated and passionate. He was right about something, things still needed to be worked out, but she couldn't hide her love from him anymore, and to be honest, she was tired of not being happy anymore and of this stupid fight; she wanted to be happy again, she wanted her little fairy tale again.

His hand reached between her thighs, stroking her sensitive parts and sliding his fingers around and into her wet core. Emily whimpered in his mouth and stroked his erection and felt it become harder than steel while placing him at her entrance. He slowly slid inside her, as she arched her back and moaned when his hard as steel erection filled her she could feel him touching every part of her inside. They made passionate love a few more times before they got out of bed and showered together, then finally got dressed and headed back to the hospital to see their daughter.

By the time they arrived at the hospital it was about ten in the morning. Elizabeth had already helped Bay take a shower and fed her breakfast. When Emily and Aaron walked into the room together, the Ambassador did not need to be a profiler to know what had happened between them, she knew her daughter better than anyone in this world. Elizabeth still hated Aaron Hotchner more than anything in the world especially for all the pain and suffering he had caused Emily, but she also knew that it was Emily's decision what to do with him and her life, and she could see in her eyes how much Emily loved him, and whatever happened last night had obviously changed her mind completely. The spark in her eyes was evident, and her eyes were glowing.

Bay immediately squealed when she saw both of her parents walking in.

"Mommy…" "Daddy…" "I thought you forgot about me." Bay said, pouting.

Emily laughed and picked her up from the bed, hugging her tightly to her; she really did not like leaving Bay alone for the night especially in the hospital, and while she trusted her mom with her life, it really wasn't the same.

"Oh, good morning, my little angel, I missed you tons." Emily said, filling her little girl's face with kisses and tickling her. After a few minutes, she finally let Aaron take her from her arms so he could say good morning to her as well.

"Good morning, my little princess." Aaron said, smiling widely and hugging Bay close to him.

"I'm sorry we took so long, Mom, we had to take care of a few things." Emily said, blushing lightly.

"It's okay, dear, I hope you got everything worked out. If it's okay with you, I'm going home to shower and make some calls, but I'll come back later."

"It's okay, mom, you don't need to come back. I'm staying here the rest of the day. Thank you for everything."

"I really don't want you to be alone, Emily."

"She won't be alone, Ambassador, I'm staying with her until Bay is released." Aaron said firmly.

'Thank you, Agent Hotchner." The ambassador said firmly, glaring at Hotch.

"You don't have to thank me, Bay is my daughter and Emily is the love of my life. I'm just doing my job." He said, walking closer to Emily with Bay still in his arms and wrapping his free arm around Emily's waist. Emily tensed a little, the last thing she wanted to do was have a confrontation between Aaron and her mom.

"Aaron, please." Emily warned softly.

"Please what, Emily, I'm not afraid to tell anyone how I feel about you, and although I made mistakes, I'm willing to do anything to fix those mistakes, but I'm not hiding what I feel for you any longer." He said firmly, and Emily smiled internally.

"That is very laudable, Agent Hotchner, I admire a man that can stand up for his mistakes and own up to them." She walked up to Bay giving her a kiss as she said goodbye to them and walked out of the room.

"Aaron." Emily turned to him, she knew he was trying, but she also wanted to make sure things were handled carefully.

"What Em? I've already told you I'm not going to hide how I feel for you any longer, no matter what anyone thinks. I'll do anything it takes to fix my mistakes, Em, anything, is that clear?" He asked firmly, but sweetly. Emily smiled and nodded and Aaron leaned down and captured her mouth in a sweet passionate kiss, until they were interrupted by their little girl squealing again.

"Ewwww…that is so disgusting." Bay said, scrunching her face. They both laughed and Aaron turned to her smiling.

"Can you do Daddy a favor and think that way for the next thirty years?" He asked with pleading eyes.

Emily laughed and leaned down to kiss Bay on the cheek again with a big grin on her face.

They spent most of the morning watching films and playing games with Bay; it had been a very long time since Aaron was this happy and laughing. Every minute, he fell more in love more with Bay, with her sweet innocent face, with her cuteness and how smart she was. They even played a children's version of monopoly, a game he found at the gift shop. Once again, he was mesmerized at Bay's intelligence and her ability to win every single game on the road but also to trick both Emily and Aaron and getting away with winning each time. He had a great time though, it was his first real family time with the woman he loved and his daughter, and they laughed so much; every now and then, he leaned down capturing Emily's lips in a kiss. Later that afternoon they ordered lunch from the cafeteria and ate together as a family. He was so happy and most importantly, he loved to see Emily and Bay smiling the way they did. It was such a joyful feeling for him.

Around six o'clock that evening, Dr. Bergman walked into the room and smiled at the sight of the happy family, for more than anyone, he had witnessed how much agony the family had been through.

"Good evening." He said, smiling.

"Good Evening, Dr. Bergman." Emily said, smiling at him. Aaron turned to greet him.

"How is everyone doing today?" He asked everyone in a cheerful tone.

"Everything is great, Bay has been doing very well." Emily replied happily, looking at her daughter who had now recovered her alabaster but blushed pink skin, and who looked happier than Emily had ever seen her.

"Is that right, Bay? How are you feeling, sweetie?" Dr. Bergman asked, walking towards Bay and gently sitting next to her on the bed.

"I'm okay, do you think I can eat chocolate ice cream soon? My tummy doesn't feel achy anymore?" Bay asked, eliciting giggles from everyone in the room.

"Well, I'm sure we can work around that, I just need to do a quick check up on you, alright?" Bay nodded gently, and stood very quietly and firmly while Dr. Bergman performed his check up on her, surprising both Emily and Aaron how well-behaved she was being in front of the doctors.

"It looks like everything is very good with you, Bay, so I think it's okay if you have some chocolate ice cream." He said, smiling widely as Bay clapped and screamed happily in the bed.

Then, he turned to Emily and Aaron with the best news a parent could receive about their sick child.

"Bay looks in excellent condition; her results for the test on the blood count were turned in this morning her blood levels are back to normal." He smiled widely.

"What does that mean?" Emily asked, feeling a knot in her stomach; she had a little idea what it meant but she wanted to be sure.

"It means her blood levels are right where they should be, and Bay has been put in remission and you can take her home tomorrow." He said. Emily gasped and brought her hands to her mouth, unable to utter anymore words. Aaron pulled her into a hug, smiling widely and wiping her happiness tears.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Bergman, for everything you did for Bay. I'll never be able to pay you enough for saving my daughter's life." Emily said, tears pouring down her face.

Dr. Bergman approached her and grabbed her hand gently.

"Miss Prentiss, you don't have to thank me, I'm just doing my job; besides. I'm not the one who saved her, you should thank him." He said, looking at Aaron warmly.

After the doctor said goodbye to all of them and he had left, Emily stood there crying pulling Aaron to her for a hug.

"Thank you so much, Aaron, I'll never be able to pay you for saving my daughter, thank you." She said as she cried and let all her pent up motions out, and he pulled her closer to him.

"She is my daughter, too, well she is our daughter, and it was the least I could do for you guy." Aaron said, wiping her eyes and kissing her passionately.

"Now what?" Emily asked, looking at him with teary eyes.

"Now, we go home with our daughter and try to recover the time we spent away from each other, and we try to do anything in our ability to make her happy; it's not everyday we get a second chance in life." Aaron said, smiling widely and taking her face in his hands. Emily leaned down and kissed him passionately, that was, until they were interrupted again.

"Ewwwww, can you stop…kissing is gross, and get my chocolate ice cream, please." Bay protested from the bed and they both laughed loudly.

Aaron smiled and pulled both his girls into his arms, he couldn't be luckier. Bay was completely healed, Emily had forgiven him and while there was still to work to do on their relationship, they were finally together and Aaron had vowed to do whatever it took to make them happy. For now, he was on a chocolate ice cream mission.


	29. Chapter 30

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

Chapter 29: Meaningful Little Things

It had been about three weeks since Bay had been released from the hospital and things could not be going better. Emily's little "happy full of energy" girl was back, and while her beautiful hair was still rather short, she looked more beautiful than Emily had ever seen her…she was running around and playing all day long. Emily had forgotten how much energy Bay had; however, she couldn't be happier to have her little baby girl home, healthy and ready to live again. Emily wanted to wait a little before she enrolled Bay back in school. Bay was not very confident about her short hair, and after all that her daughter had been through, Emily felt a few months of home schooling and spoiling with her mommy wouldn't hurt.

Things were settling down little by little, even things between her and Aaron. She still found it really hard to believe they were finally together, and while there were still some trust issues, she wanted to be with him. She couldn't lie to herself…she loved him more than anyone she had ever met, he had always been the man of her dreams and regardless of all the struggles they had experienced, they were finally together and trying to make things work.

They were both back to work now, and Emily's mom was helping them with Bay while they were away on cases. Aaron was sure Bay couldn't be in better hands than with the Ambassador, and while he knew Emily worried like crazy about Bay, he was confident she was fine. It was, of course, very hard for he and Emily to be gone for three or four days every week right after their daughter had been released from the hospital, unfortunately neither he nor Emily had any more vacation or paid time off available, and Emily was still the Unit Chief, so it was even more difficult for her to find the time to be with her daughter. Over the last couple of weeks, Emily had been thinking about what to do with her situation, and she finally had come to a conclusion and was convinced it was the best solution to their situation.

Friday night, Emily came home around eight o'clock; she had had a very important meeting with Strauss and the BAU Directors and she was really tired. All she wanted to do when she got home was to see her boyfriend and child. Aaron and Bay were waiting for her at her apartment, and since he knew her meeting would make her late that night, he offered to take care of Bay and made dinner for them. Emily stepped into her apartment tiredly throwing the keys in the basket on table by the door and dropping her messenger bag on the floor. Her head was pounding with a migraine, and she had never been more exhausted. She was greeted with the smell of amazing food and then she could hear small feet rushing down the stairs.

"Mommy, you're home!" Bay screamed, jumping into her mother's arms catching her by surprise and almost knocking her to the floor.

"Hey, monkey!" She smiled, hugging her daughter tightly…as difficult as her day had been, her daughter always put a smile on her face.

"Did you have a good day, baby?" Emily asked, after she placed her baby girl back on the floor.

"I did, and daddy and I made dinner for you, and he got me another pretty horse." Bay exclaimed, showing her missing tooth smile. (She had lost one of her first teeth a few days ago).

Emily rolled her eyes smiling just as Aaron came down the stairs as well to greet her.

"Hey, sweetheart." Aaron said as he kissed her cheek.

"Hi, honey." She smiled tiredly.

"Do you want to go upstairs to shower and freshen up while I set the table and serve dinner?" He asked gently, pressing a kiss on her lips.

"That would be great, thank you, Aaron." She kissed him back, then headed upstairs.

Ten minutes later, Emily came back downstairs showered and wearing sweat pants and a tank top. Aaron had just served dinner and was feeding Bay the spaghetti and meat sauce and salad he had made. Emily smiled, walking around the table and leaning down to kiss Bay's forehead and Aaron's cheek. Then, she sat down to eat dinner with them.

"How was the meeting, baby?" He asked, taking a bite of his food.

"Long…and…" She sighed, and Aaron immediately knew it was bad news.

"That bad?" He asked, concerned.

"We can talk when Bay is asleep." She said gently, squeezing his hand. Aaron just watched her…he was concerned and by the look on her face, whatever she was about to say was probably very bad news.

After they put Bay to sleep, Aaron headed downstairs and opened a bottle of wine. He knew that relaxing a little would make her feel better about her day, so he poured two glasses of wine and headed upstairs to Emily's room. She was getting her clothes together for her next day at work, and she still looked really tired; he smiled and placed the glasses of wine on the dresser and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Come sit with me for a little while, let's talk, baby." He said, kissing her neck and hugging her tightly against him.

"I'm not sure I want to talk about it." She said, turning around and looking at him with questioning eyes.

"What is going on, Em, what happened?" He asked, concerned.

"It's complicated and long, and Strauss is furious with me. I think I might have set her against me for the rest of my life." She finally blurted out.

"Come sit down, baby, you know you can tell me anything." Aaron said, as he pulled her to the small couch Emily had in her room and handed her a glass of wine. After she had two large sips she exhaled and looked at Aaron tiredly. 

"I resigned." She replied, watching Aaron's face drop.

"You what!" He exclaimed in shock.

"I didn't resign from the BAU, I just…resigned as the Unit Chief…I stepped down." She said, sipping on her wine again.

"Why, Em, why would you do that?" Aaron asked, surprised. Emily had done a remarkable job so far, in fact, now that he really thought about it, he loved her being the authority of the BAU.

"Because I can't do the job, Aaron. I just can't." She said, as he took her hands softly.

"What are you talking about! You have done an excellent job...even better than me; the BAU has never worked more smoothly." Aaron said, truthfully.

"I'm tired, Aaron, it's an amazing job, don't take me wrong, but these past few months, I have been so stressed and crazy busy between the BAU and Bay in the hospital, and honestly I can't do this anymore." She said, looking at him deeply.

"Baby, but Bay is out of the hospital, and I'm here. I can help you with anything you need with Bay and the BAU…you have me…I don't want you to give up this dream." He said kindly.

"This wasn't my dream, Aaron, the first reason I took the job was because Strauss tricked me into it, and second, I knew it was the only way to keep from getting you fired and to keep the team together. If you had stepped down, then you would promote internally again, this was _your_ dream, Aaron. It was everything you ever worked for. I only took the job temporarily for you." Aaron was stunned and so touched when she was finished talking.

"You don't know if I'm going to get the job back." He said, looking down.

"You already have. Director Crammer has already made the decision. I'm stepping down, and you'll be promoted again...it's on paper." She finished, as she emptied her glass of wine.

"Emily, I…" He didn't finish before she cut him off.

"No, Aaron, I'm doing this for many reasons, for you and for Bay…she deserves her mother home. I've already failed her enough. I need to be there for her, and honestly, I need a break…I'm so tired of everything. I just want to lift a little bit of weight off my back."

"If this is really what you want and only what you want, I'll support you."

"It is." She said softly, looking down.

Aaron pulled her into his arms without knowing what to say, he knew very well Emily had stepped down just so he could get his job back and that was all. He also knew very well what this meant, not only had she pissed off Strauss deeply, but she probably had put her against her, and now the bitch would make her life impossible at the BAU. Aaron knew very well Strauss had attempted to use Emily to get rid of him, and while Emily had never given Strauss any information against him, or even attempted to help her, by resigning from the Unit Chief's position, she had not only given him back his job, but she had made Strauss's worst nightmare come true, and he was sure Strauss had set her rage against Emily. This only told him how much she really loved him, and he couldn't be luckier to have a woman like her in his life, and he would spend the rest of his life making it up to her, and making her happy, no matter what he had to do.

"Let's go to sleep, baby, okay?" Aaron suggested gently.

"Yeah, I need some sleep, it has been a long day, and tomorrow, we have a longer day with the kids." She smiled. They were supposed to have the entire weekend to be with Jack and Bay, and Emily was really looking forward to it.

Aaron pulled her gently up from the couch, and they headed to bed; before they lay down, he pulled her gently into his arms.

"I love you, baby, thank you for being such an amazing woman." He said, kissing her lips…Emily was about to protest, but he silenced her by kissing her passionately until he left her breathless.

"I love you, too, Aaron."

They got under the covers and fell asleep in each other's arms; as much as Aaron wanted to made love to her that night, he knew she was exhausted and probably not in the mood for it. He would make sure he would give her a memorable weekend with the kids.

The following morning, Emily woke up feeling a lot better, her migraine was gone and she was finally able to get a full night's sleep. She quickly realized Aaron was not in bed with her, so she slid out of bed and went straight into the bathroom to freshen up and brush her teeth and then she headed downstairs. She saw Aaron and Bay working in the kitchen making breakfast and she couldn't stop the big smile from popping out…she had dreamed many times about mornings like this, and now her dreams were coming true. Emily walked further into the kitchen and smiled even wider when she realized Bay's face was covered with flour.

"Good morning, guys, what are you up to?" She asked cheerfully.

"Mommy, we're making pancakes." Her little girl replied.

"I see that, and they smell amazing." She said, kissing Bay's cheek and then walked next to her boyfriend.

"Good morning, pretty lady." Aaron replied, pulling her into his arms for a passionate kiss.

"Hello there." Emily said, deepening the kiss.

"Yuck! You guys make me sick." Bay said, looking at them.

Aaron and Emily both burst into laughter, after that, they ate breakfast together and then proceeded to get ready. One hour later, they were all showered and ready to spend their day together. They had plans to go to the zoo and then make dinner for the kids; Sunday morning would be spent watching movies and cuddling on the sofa with the two kids.

Emily was really excited about their plans; Jack had met Bay a few weeks ago, and she had been very nervous about Jack's reaction to her daughter, but to her surprise, Jack seemed to love the little girl. He was amazing to her and he accepted the role of having a little sister to watch after very well. The two kids bonded immediately and Emily and Aaron were really happy about that, so this weekend, they were planning to have a great time with their family.

The zoo trip was as amazing as Emily had imagined and even better, the two kids spent the entire day playing with each other. Jack, being the amazing boy he was, took his time explaining each and every one of the animals to Bay. He took her hand and led her through the whole zoo the entire day. They had lunch at the zoo and after lunch, they strode through the other half of the zoo. Around six pm, they headed to Aaron's apartment since he had offered to cook for them.

The kids watched a movie while Aaron and Emily made dinner and then they all sat at the table together to eat laughing and smiling the entire time. After dinner, they gathered around the sofa playing a game, having a great time; it was then Emily realized it was almost nine o'clock at night. Time had flown and they were having such a good time, she hadn't even noticed how late it was.

"Oh God, I didn't even realize it was this late! We should head home. Come on, Bay, thank Aaron and Jack for everything today." Emily suggested to her daughter.

"I don't want to go home, mommy. I want to stay here with Jack and daddy." Bay said, pouting with her puppy dog eyes.

"Why don't you just stay here, it's too late for you to drive back home anyway…just stay." Aaron offered.

"Yeah. Bay can sleep with me in my bed, it's big enough for both of us." Jack suggested sweetly, turning to face Emily imploringly.

"I don't know; I don't want to cause any trouble."

"You won't cause any trouble, we want you to stay, in fact, I am begging you to stay, please." Aaron pleaded.

"Please mommy, please." Bay begged.

"All right, we'll stay." Emily responded, since she had not seen Bay so happy before.

Jack and Bay fell sleep together in Jack's bed, when he was attempting to read a book to her. It was so cute Emily had to snap a picture with her phone. Jack had even let Bay borrow a pair of pajamas he had from when he was Bay's age. His grandmother had given them to him, and they had a dinosaur theme…it was his favorite pair pajamas and he had saved them as a reminder of his grandmother. Emily was so touched about his actions she wanted to cry.

After Emily and Aaron kissed the kids good night, they finally headed to his room. The minute he locked his bedroom door, he pulled the brunette into his arms assaulting her mouth fiercely. They stood there making out for a while until Emily finally pulled away breathlessly. His hand moved to play with the hem of her sweeter, and Emily knew very well what his intentions were.

"Aaron, wait." She said, trying to pull away from his assault on her mouth.

However, Aaron ignored her statement and pushed her back against the pillows and hovered over her gently, kissing her passionately.

"Aaron, please, stop." She begged breathlessly.

"What is it, baby?" He inquired, confused.

"It's just...the kids…they're in the other room." She stammered.

"I'm aware of that." He said, smiling at her.

"I don't want them to walk in on us, what if they wake up...and see us?" Emily knew she was babbling, Aaron laughed gently at her.

"Em, the kids are asleep, and I really doubt they will wake up after today's routine, besides the door is locked." He said, trying to go for her mouth again, but she pulled away again.

"Come on Em, do I have to tell you that I want you?" He asked with pleading eyes.

"I want you, too, it's just..." But Aaron silenced her by capturing her mouth again in a passionate kiss. He finally won, seducing her and pulling her sweater over her head gently and throwing it somewhere on the floor.

They undressed each other slowly between heated kisses, finally, with both naked they cuddled under the blankets and Aaron slid down the covers kissing down her body and between her thighs; Emily let out a loud moan as soon as his mouth touched her wet center and arched her back to him closing her eyes. Aaron continued to lick at her slit up and down, then he slid one of his fingers inside her and she couldn't stop her moans again.

"God, Aaron, stop, you're going to make me scream." Emily gasped breathlessly.

"That was the plan." He said huskily, making her laugh, she was trying really hard to be as quiet as she could, so they didn't wake up the kids, but it was impossible when he was doing so many delicious things to her with his mouth. She finally came with a strangled moan, burying her face in the pillow to shield her screams.

Aaron crawled back up to face her, kissing his way up and laughing at her flushed face; he loved when she looked like this, and knowing he made her that way, he simply didn't have the words. She captured his mouth in a sweet kiss as he got comfortable between her legs, he slowly slid inside her, making her gasp and placing gentle kisses on her lips.

They made love that night for a very long time, reconnecting with each other and discovering new positions and what made each other weak in the knees. After a while, they laid in his bed in each other's arms…Emily barely had the energies to speak after such an intense session of lovemaking. He gently traced his fingers on her bare back kissing her forehead.

"I love you more than I ever loved anyone in this world; I have loved you for so long, and I just want to spend the rest of my life with you." Aaron told her, looking at her intensely, his eyes sparkling. Emily just looked at him quietly, she did love him, she knew that, but she was still having trouble believing his words.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Aaron asked, tilting her chin.

"I didn't say that; I just need time for us to get to that place again." She said sincerely.

"What can I do to make you believe me, I'll do anything it takes?" He asked sadly.

"I think we both have to work on this together." She replied, kissing Aaron lightly since he was pouting at her. Aaron exhaled and looked up at the ceiling.

"You know the night you left to go to London…the night we first were together? It was the most amazing night for me, it was then I realized I felt something for you…I realized I was in love with you." He confessed.

"Why didn't you say something?"-Emily asked incredulously.

"I tried, but you fell asleep after…mm." He didn't really need to said the words.

"I figured I would wake you in the morning with breakfast in bed and flowers and ask you to stay and give me a chance."-Aaron said sadly.

"But when I woke up…"

"I was gone!" She finished for him, speechless.

"There was no note, nothing left from you. I tried calling you, but you didn't answer." Emily closed her eyes remembering sending his calls to voice mail while she rode the cab to the airport.

"I'm so sorry." She said, still speechless at his words.

"There was nothing left from you anymore, I had lost you. I didn't even have you yet, and I lost you. The only thing I had left from you was the reminder of the most amazing night I ever had and something you left…well actually two things you left." Aaron said, looking at her.

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

Aaron sit up in bed and laughed gently.

"Promise me you won't laugh and think I'm a pervert?" He admonished her, a little embarrassed.

"Of course not, just tell me." Emily begged, sitting up in bed covering herself with the sheet. Aaron slid off the bed putting on his boxers and walking toward his dresser. He opened the top drawer and pulled out two small silk bags, one of them was very small the other one was a little larger. He walked back to bed and joined Emily handing her the bags. Emily looked at him confused, but she proceeded to open the bags; she first took the bigger bag, opening it with careful hands, as soon as she saw what it was, she couldn't stop laughing and instantly blushing at the content. It was a black lace thong, the one she had worn that night…she left in such a rush, she had forgotten to put her underwear on and she didn't even remember that until now.

"You kept this?" She asked, her cheeks red as a beet and smiling at him shyly.

"They used to smell like you, I don't know why I kept them…is that creepy? Please don't think I'm a pervert." All of a sudden, he blushed and Emily smiled leaning down to kiss him.

"I think it's actually very cute. I can't believe you actually kept them." She said, smiling widely. Then, he pointed to the other smaller bag. Emily took the bag and opened it, a gold object fell out into her hands, and this time she couldn't keep the tears at bay. It was her locket, the locket her father had given her, and she thought she had lost.

"Oh my God! Where did you find this?" She asked in shock while soft tears slid down her face.

"You left it at the hotel that morning, I think it must have fallen off your neck, and I found it underneath the pillows." Aaron said softly

"I thought I lost it, my father gave it to me. It is basically the only thing I have from him." She said in a shaky voice.

"I knew it was important, that is why I kept it…I planned on giving it back to you if I ever saw you again…but then I got attached to it, it was the only thing that kept me close to you, so when you returned, I decided to keep it for a while longer, and then with everything that happened…anyway, here it is." He said, looking at her. Emily just wrapped her arms around him and held him close while tears rolled down her face.

"I do love you, Aaron, more than I ever loved anyone, I want it all, as well I want to spend the rest of my life with you too, but I'm really scared,." She confessed.

"I know, but we will work together in this, I promise you; I'm scared, too, but I also know that my love for you is so strong that I'm willing to risk it all." He said, pulling away some and wiping her eyes.

"I'm willing to risk it all, too." She finally confessed, and he pulled her in for another hug. Emily opened the locket and smiled at the pictures.

"You know, Bay looks exactly like you when you were her age." Aaron confessed, making her smile widely.

"She is identical to you."-He added.

"She has your eyes and your dimples, and she definitely has your temper." Emily said as he placed the locket around her neck again.

"Oh, I beg to differ, she has her mother's temper, no contest." Emily poked him gently, and he started tickling her as they were both laughing hysterically.

They spent the rest of the night making love and talking about everything and anything. Emily finally fell asleep satiated and with a big smile, holding her locket close to her heart.


	30. Chapter final

Unforgettable Nights, Unforgivable Mistakes

 _ **OK my lovely readers here is the final chapter, I am so soon sorry it took me so long to finish this story and it isn't as great as I wished it would had been. But this pst year has really been hell for me, I had a death on my family and many other problems, and I ma graduating in only a month so it truly has been crazy for me. But here it is, thank you so much for reading and your reviews. It is always a pleasure to write for you I am so sorry again it took me forever to finish this story, but here is the end finally. I hope you like it and please leave a review!**_

Chapter 30: My Fairy Tale

Emily curled up on the couch in the hotel room as the dark-haired man pulled her closer to him. They were cuddling on the couch drinking a bottle of wine. They had been walking around the Notre-Dame Cathedral all morning in Paris after they visited the Eiffel Tower. She snuggled closer to him and smiled as the cozy fire from the fireplace caressed their bodies. It had been an amazing afternoon; in fact, it had been a wonderful couple of days, and the couple was looking forward to the rest of their vacation.

"What's on your mind, Mrs. Hotchner?" Aaron said, trailing kisses on her neck.

"Nothing, I just…I wanted to call the kids before, you know, it's too late in D.C." Emily said, with a worried face. Aaron chuckled and shook his head rolling his eyes.

"Baby, you called them two hours ago, in fact, you've been calling them every few hours since we got here." Aaron said laughingly.

"I just…I'm worried. I just want to know they're fine, just one minute please." She pleaded, turning back to look at the dark-haired man. Aaron rolled his eyes again and pulled his cellphone out of his pocket dialing JJ's number.

"Oh my God! I swear, I'm going to disconnect my phone if you call again, you're on your honeymoon, for God sake!" The blonde woman said, annoyed.

"Can you please tell her that?" Aaron said, agreeing with her.

"Put her on the phone." JJ said, exasperated. Aaron passed the phone to Emily.

"Hey, J, I just wanted to check on Bay and Jack."

"Stop calling, or I swear I'm going to change my number." JJ told her best friend while handing Bay a bottle of juice.

"But, I just…."

"Emily, you're on your honeymoon in the most romantic city in the world, Bay and Jack are fine, now, you have a very sexy man in front of you…focus on that!" JJ ordered.

"But…" Emily protested again.

"Goodbye, Emily." The blonde woman disconnected the call leaving Emily with a big pout.

"She hung up on me." She said sadly.

"The kids are okay, baby, we trust JJ completely." Aaron reassured her.

"I know, I just…" She tried to put up the words, but he silenced her by capturing her mouth in a long, passionate kiss. She smiled, and leaning down on the couch as he hovered over her, they made out for a few minutes, until desire overtook them…he carefully picked her up from the couch and took her to the king-sized bed in their suite.

 _Flashbacks:_

 _She was siting on the chair of the luxury room as JJ and Penelope worked on her hair, putting on the last flowers. She was so nervous she was shaking, and she tried to stay calm as she watched her reflection in the long mirror at the white camisole and beautiful lingerie set. She watched her best friends work on her hair, they had done an amazing job on curling her hair and putting it up in a bun with loose tendrils cascading around her face, and with her light smoky makeup she looked even more beautiful. She couldn't believe her dream was finally coming true...in a few hours she would finally be Mrs. Hotchner. After everything they had been through, and after all the pitfalls they had to overcome, their love for each other had finally won, and they were going to get married._

" _Okay, peaches, you're all ready, let's put on your dress." Penelope said cheerfully, walking back to the bed and picking up Emily's gown. It was a simple, short length elegant gown. She didn't really want to be too formal; she already had a child and it wasn't like she was 21 anymore. Her friends helped her with the dress and she put on her white satin heels, then she stepped in front of the mirror as she smoothed her dress. She couldn't stop the big smile that spread across her face; she had dreamed about this day for so many years, and now it was finally here. A knock on the door brought her back from her thoughts._

 _JJ answered the door and Dave walked in wearing a very elegant black tuxedo followed by Bay, who was wearing a beautiful long flower girl dress. Her hair was long again and soft curls framed her face, and she was wearing a flower in the curls of her hair. Emily smiled widely, looking at their beautiful daughter._

" _Mommy, you look like a princess." Bay said, running into Emily's arms._

" _I think you're the princess, sweetheart, I really love your dress." Emily kissed Bay._

" _I think we're all ready for you, Em...Clyde is waiting downstairs." Dave said, smiling, Emily nodded, and everyone left the room heading out for the ceremony. A few minutes later, Emily came down the stairs in her beautiful dress and holding her bouquet of flowers, where Clyde was waiting for her in the foyer of Rossi's mansion. He, too, was wearing a tuxedo, and he couldn't stop the huge smile that spread across his face. He held his hand open for her, as she made her way to the last step. He took her hand and kissed it._

" _Wow, you look absolutely stunning, beautiful, darling." He said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead._

" _I'm so nervous." She told her best friend._

" _Why Em? You've already banged him many times, you're just going to acquire his last name, although I think there will be lots of banging tonight." Clyde couldn't help but tease the bride._

" _Oh my God, Clyde, I swear to God you are impossible!" She turned bright red._

" _Relax, Em, I'm teasing...just breathe, this is your day...come on, let's go, they're waiting for us." He said, opening his arm for her and leading her out of the house. Emily nodded, and they headed outside, as soon as they stepped outside, the orchestra started softly playing Pachelbel in B Canon as they walked out. The back yard at Dave's mansion look absolutely gorgeous; it was a very small, sophisticated gathering, just friends and family of the bride and groom. Small twinkle lights were hung around the entire area and several tables were covered with white tablecloths and beautiful centerpieces._

 _Their friends and family were waiting for them, all standing to the side where the ceremony was going to take place; Bay started walking in front of them throwing white rose petals on the walkway along the aisle. JJ and Garcia, her two bridesmaids, were waiting in the front holding beautiful flower bouquets. The priest was already waiting for them, and Aaron, whose face lighted up as soon as he saw her, was also ready wearing an incredibly elegant tuxedo, to his side Dave, his best man, and Derek and Spencer, all in very elegant tuxedos. To his other side, Jack was waiting wearing a tuxedo that matched his father's and holding a cushion that held the rings. Emily tried to relax, but she simply couldn't as Clyde led her down the aisle, she couldn't stop thinking about everything she and Aaron had been through to be where they were now._

 _When they arrived at the end of the aisle, Clyde turned around and held her hand kissing her cheek._

" _It is such an honor to watch you get married and be happy, you know how much I love you, darlin'." Clyde said, pressing one last kiss on her forehead._

" _I love you, too, thank you for being the most amazing friend anyone could have." Emily leaned in to press a kiss on his check, too, and then they both turned to look at Aaron, who gently took a step forward to take his bride's hand._

 _Aaron couldn't concentrate anymore as he saw how absolutely beautiful and breathtaking Emily looked in her wedding dress; he truly felt he was the luckiest man on earth. Aaron was staring at her like a complete idiot, and Emily felt herself blushing. He finally gently took her hand, pulling her close to him, and they both turned to face the priest._

 _"Oh my God, you are absolutely and completely, utterly breathtaking." He smiled, deeply showing his dimples. Emily just smiled; she had finally lost her voice and couldn't utter a single word._

 _The ceremony started, and the priest talked about marriage for a while and finally proceeded to the rest of the ceremony. He finally called for the rings and Jack came over, smiling proudly. Emily bent down to place a kiss on the little boy's head, she was crying again._

 _The priest blessed the rings and the spoke to the couple..._

 _"Aaron Hotchner, do you take Emily Prentiss as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"_

 _"I do." He said, holding her hand and looking at her intensely._

 _"Emily Prentiss, do you take Aaron Hotchner as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"_

 _"I do." She couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her face as she replied._

 _The priest asked Aaron to take his ring first, and Aaron took Emily's hand gently and repeated what the priest told him._

 _"Emily, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day." He placed the ring on her finger right next to her engagement ring. Then Emily took Aaron's ring and took Aaron's left hand, repeating what the priest told him._

 _"Aaron, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day." Her voice breaking down and spilling more tears, her hands shaking._

 _The priest spoke one more time..._

 _"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Aaron, you may kiss your wife."_

 _Aaron pulled her close by the waist and kissed her passionately, almost forgetting that anyone was even there with them._

 _Everyone started clapping, and Aaron pulled Emily close to him, kissing her softly and holding her in his arms. They pulled away after awhile and turned back to meet their friends. He gently led Emily down the aisle one more time, as his wife now and both were smiling deeply._

 _Bay ran into their arms and Aaron happily picked her up, holding his wife and his baby girl; it was truly the happiest day of his life. He was finally happy after all the trouble they had been through. Life had handed them an opportunity and now they had it, he had a whole life ahead of them to be happy, to cherish her and to love her. The photographer snapped many of pictures of the whole family along with Jack, several of them a lone, and many as well of the entire team and family together. The dinner party was absolutely amazing and everyone talked and cheered, and they laughed for the longest time. They had been a family for so long, all the team. The ambassador was there as well, and she was so happy to see her daughter happier than she had ever been. She couldn't stop the tears when she saw her daughter dancing with Aaron in her beautiful white dress, swaying slowly to the music...all she had ever wanted for her daughter was for her to be happy, and now she could tell she truly was._

" _You make me the happiest man on earth." Aaron whispered in her ear as they slowly swayed to the music._

" _You make me so happy, too, I love you, Aaron, I always will." He leaned down to kiss her again, until a small frame pulled from Aaron's pants._

" _May I dance, too, daddy?" The little girl asked, making both of them laugh._

" _Well, of course, you might, you're the princess today." Aaron said, picking her up in his arms and holding both his wife and his baby girl._

" _Well, I think it's time for a daddy and daughter dance." Emily said, kissing them both and retuning to the table and sitting next to her mother, watching with tears in her eyes as Aaron swayed on the dance floor with Bay in his arms._

" _Oh, that's just so cute, he's so amazing," The ambassador said._

" _I know, that's why I married him." Emily smiled and laughing with her mom._

" _It makes me so happy to see you smile like this, smiling, marrying such a wonderful man."_

" _I love you, mom, so much, I want you to know that, thank you for being there for me and Bay." She cried, and her mom pulled her for a hug._

" _I want you to just focus on your wedding, honey, this is so lovely." Elizabeth said, looking around._

 _It truly had been, as small and sophisticated as it had been, it truly had been a dream wedding for Emily. Around midnight, Dave drove Emily and Aaron to the airport to take their plane to France for their honeymoon. Bay and Jack were going to stay with JJ for the next two weeks while the couple had their honeymoon. They had gotten a house a few months back, and they had already settled into it. It took some time to settle into their new life and the planning for the wedding and everything else, but a year after Bay's surgery the couple was finally married and ready to start a new life._

 _End Flashback._

The couple lay on the sheets naked and satiated, after they had gone for at least three rounds, now they were cuddling in each others arms. Aaron was tracing soft patterns with his fingertips on her porcelain skin, on her back and over her ass, the red marks he had left on her neck and breast were turning a shade of purple now, and although he knew she hated when people could see them, right now they were thousand of miles away and by the time they would come back they would have faded. He moved out of their embrace and started trailing kisses on her shoulders and shoulder blades, then down her spine and down her ass. Emily giggled and turned around. He kissed her hips and then he stopped at her stomach pressing a much more gentle kiss there.

"Do you think he can hear me?" He asked, kissing her stomach again, Emily laughed.

"Honey, you have to stop calling it a "him", we don't know if it's going to be a boy." Emily said, rolling her eyes, running her hands through her husband's hair.

"Yes, he is, I know he's going to be a boy, I trust me...I just know." He reassured her, pressing another kiss on her still flat pregnant belly. Emily had found out she was pregnant just a few weeks before the wedding, and they couldn't be happier, but it was too early to determine the sex of the baby since she was barely twelve weeks pregnant.

"You know what, I have a slight feeling he is going to be a boy, too. I can feel it." She smiled, touching her stomach as Aaron returned to her arms cuddling against her and pulling her into his arms.

"What to you mean." Aaron asked, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't know, I just feel different." She smiled widely.

"Different than what?" He asked, arching his eyebrow.

"Different than what I felt when I was pregnant with Bay, you know, the feeling is different, the nausea is just...different." She said, smiling as she remembered her pregnancy with Bay.

"Well, it's a boy, I know so." He said firmly.

"What if it's a girl love?" Emily teased.

"Then, we try again until we have a boy." He said it like it was the most obvious thing.

"Uh, excuse me?" Emily said, looking at him in shock.

"Well, I want a house full of kids, you know."

"Right, and by a house full of kids, exactly how many kids are we talking about?" Emily look at him, horrified.

"I don't know a couple more, at least...we'll see."

"A couple more other than the ones we already have and the one we're already waiting for?" Emily asked, arching her eyebrow in shock.

"Right!" He confirmed, smiling.

"How many glasses of wine did you have, honey?" Emily said, sitting on the bed laughing at him.

"Well, I want more kids, baby."

"We have two kids and one on the way, isn't that enough for you?" She reasoned.

"Not really, no. Have you ever seen those huge families with a house full of kids? I think they are amazing." Aaron said, looking at his wife.

"Yes, they are, but the parents of those families don't work at the FBI, babe, our jobs can't afford for us to have a house full of kids, it won't be fair for our kids."

"Okay, you might be right...how about we have this one and another one, and then we talk again?" He offered, and Emily laughed.

"Actually, after this conversation and seeing just how insatiable you are...honey, you're getting your tubes tied first thing as soon as we get back to D.C." Emily said, stepping from the bed and wrapping herself with a fleece robe walking toward the bathroom. It took him a minute to get what she was talking about.

"What? NO! NO! Emily, come back in here! I'm not getting my tubes tied. Are you listening?!" He yelled as he followed her into the bathroom. He found her filling the Jacuzzi with hot water.

"Emily, I'm talking to you... I'm not getting my tubes tied. I mean it" He said firmly.

"Okay." Emily responded evenly.

"Okay?" Aaron asked to make sure he heard right.

"Yeah, okay." She said again.

"That's all, I don't have to get my tubes tied then?" He asked, confused.

"Sure, if you don't want to get your tubes tied, fine, you don't have to get them tied." She said pouring bubble bath and oil in the hot water.

"Okay, so that's all then." He smiled.

"Yeah, sure, you're just not getting "any", ever again, that way we can still avoid a pregnancy, and you don't have to get your tubes tied babe." She responded, walking out of the bathroom.

"Wait a minute, what?"

"Are you out of your mind? Emily, come back in here, you can't just leave me without sex forever, that is insane." He said horrified.

"Then, I guess you will have to make a choice, honey." Emily said, walking back in the bathroom with a bottle of champagne and two glasses, setting them by the edge of the Jacuzzi.

"But, Emily..." He protested.

"Honey, do you really want to keep arguing with me about how many children we're going to have, and whether you're getting your tubes tied or not." She said, letting the robe fall on the floor, exposing her gorgeous naked body and walking toward the tub.

"Or you could join me, and we can have fun...Mr. Hotchner." She said, winking at him.

"I...I..." Aaron couldn't speak, she had left him speechless, but she could see by his boxers what his response was.

"What do you say, Agent Hotchner, if you come here and we continue to have an unforgettable honeymoon..." She said as she climbed inside the Jacuzzi.

It took him two seconds to join her in the Jacuzzi, but he pulled her into his arms smiling widely.

"Good boy." Emily smiled, kissing him.

"I guess I should get used to the idea that for now on you are the boss, right?" Aaron asked, defeated.

"Honey, I have always been the boss." His wife responded, pulling him for a long passionate kiss.

THE END


End file.
